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ifammif femfA a Q&ucle 


























yammif femfA a Qicycle 


By 

BERNICE MORGAN BRYANT 
Illustrated by 

HILDEGARD WOODWARD 


ALBERT 


Junior Press Books 

WHITMAN 


& CO. 



CHICAGO 


1940 


L 









Copyright, 1940, by 
Albert Whitman & Company 



'Vav*. 


Co 



To 

My Husband 


received 

SEP 27 1940 

COPYRIGHT OFFICE 


Printed in the U.S.A. 


©ClA 144640 

tV- 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

A Shopping Tour. 15 

A Visit to the Joneses. 27 

Yammy Decides to Work. 39 

Hooky, the New Pet. 46 

George and Yammy Make a Plan.57 

Daddy’s Surprise . 64 

Plans for the Trip. 71 

The Plane Ride. 76 

A Trip to Mexico. 81 

Santa Catalina Island and Home Again. 92 

The Rock Collection.109 

The Lost Bank.115 

Jolly’s Hooky.120 

A Fishing Trip.125 

Yammy Plays Indian.132 

Thanksgiving for the Joneses.140 

Yammy Finds His Bank.147 

Yammy and George Buy Their Bicycles.155 

Christmas .161 























£v 
























LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


Colored Plates 

PAGE 

Yammy was singing and dancing. 6 

“Mother. Daddy,” he shouted. 14 

“She’s like a real live doll, isn’t she, Mother?”.61 

Then she marched Yammy directly to the hotel.... 101 

Black and White Plates 

Yammy landed right in the middle of the 

pile of pillows. 21 

The children were lined up against the wall.31 

“I’ll take this little black one for my little son”... 53 

He brushed his hair flat with water. 83 

Yammy started to dance too.135 



















V. 


/ 





























<* 





“Mother. Daddy ” he shouted 






Chapter 1 

A SHOPPING TOUR 


y 


ammy, Yammy,” called Moth¬ 


er. “It is time to get up.” 

“Oh, Mother, this is Saturday,” Yammy answered in 
a sleepy voice. 

“But Yammy, I have a surprise for you. Hurry down 
to breakfast.” 

“A surprise!” And Yammy jumped from his bed, for 
Yammy loved surprises. 

He dressed hurriedly, hopped down the steps two at 
a time and swung into his place at the table. 

“Good morning, Daddy. Do you know what the 
surprise is?” 

“No, Son, I can’t guess,” answered Daddy. 

“Is it strawberries for breakfast?” asked Yammy. 

“No,” smiled Mother, as she sat across from Yammy. 
“Something better than strawberries. Look at this.” 

Mother held up a large envelope with many stamps 
on it. 


CiS] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“A letter from Uncle Yammy!” shouted Yammy. 
“What does he say? Is he coming very soon? Is he 
going to send me something?” 

Yammy was very anxious to hear from his rich Uncle 
Yammy who always sent him wonderful and strange 
gifts from Hawaii. 

“Yammy, you know you shouldn’t talk with food in 
your mouth,” corrected Daddy. 

“I just can’t help it,” choked Yammy. This time his 
mouth was filled with oatmeal. 

Mother opened the envelope and drew out a slip of 
paper. “This is for you, Yammy. Uncle Yammy has 
sent you a check for $25.00. The letter says to get you 
something you need.” 

“Whoopee,” yelled Yammy and he threw his hands 
high. “At last I can have a bicycle. Oh, Mother, this 
is SCRUMdolious.” 

He was on the other side of the table shouting and 
jumping up and down. 

“But Yammy, the letter says something you need. 
You do not need a bicycle,” said Mother firmly. 

“Sure, I need a bicycle; all boys need a bicycle.” 

“Now Yammy, let’s not talk bicycle again. You know 
Daddy and I think you are too young. You know how 
[16] 


A Shopping Tour 

crowded the streets are. And you know how I would 
worry about you.” 

“Oh shucks, Mother, you always worry about me. 
I’ve been wanting a bicycle for a long, long time.” 

“I know you have and I hope some day you will have 
one, but you will have to be a much more thoughtful 
boy than you are now.” 

“Well then, what do I need?” asked Yammy as he 
slouched in his chair. 

“I think you need some new clothes,” suggested 
Daddy. 

“Clothes! But I’ve got clothes,” argued Yammy. 
“And besidesi you always get me clothes. How about 
a new train set?” 

“No,” said Daddy. “The letter says, something you 
need. You have outgrown so many of your clothes. 
I think if you get new ones now, we can gather your 
old suits and sweaters and take them out to the Joneses. 
That’s the poor family I told you about. Don’t you 
remember? They have five children and there is no 
father or Uncle Yammy to help them.” 

“Well, all right. But I want a plaid jacket.” 

“We’ll see,” answered Mother. “Now let us hurry 
as we will have a full day.” 

[17] 


Yamtny Buys a Bicycle 

“Are we going to get the clothes today?” 

“Ii think we may as well, or else we will have to wait 
until next Saturday.” 

“And I’d better be getting to the office,” said Daddy, 
as he kissed Mother and Yammy good-bye. 

They decided to walk to the elevated train that took 
them from their suburb to the downtown section of 
Chicago. 

The March air was fresh and crisp. It was just be¬ 
ginning to snow. They walked fast to keep themselves 
warm. Yammy bundled his red scarf around his neck. 
Mother buttoned her fur collar high. The wind whipped 
across their faces. 

Yammy sat next to the window in the elevated train. 
He could see the tops of the houses and trees. Sometimes 
the buildings were very close and he seemed to be riding 
through a tunnel. The train went fast and it was not 
long before they were in the Loop, the business and 
shopping district of Chicago. 

It was lots of fun trying on new suits. Mother select¬ 
ed a dark blue twill. It fitted Yammy perfectly. 

“How do you like this one?” Mother asked. 

“But I wanted a brown suit,” frowned Yammy. 

“Now Yammy, you always get a blue suit for best.” 

[18] 


A Shopping Tour 

“That’s why I want a brown suit for a change. Please, 
Mother, let me have a brown suit.” 

Mother did not answer. She was smoothing his shoul¬ 
ders and feeling the material of the collar to see if it was 
really good material. 

Yammy fumbled and twisted at a button. He kept 
turning the button ’round and ’round. After so much 
turning and twisting it fell into his fingers. Before 
Mother saw it, he slipped it into his pocket. And with¬ 
out thinking, he started to twist and turn the next button. 
In no time it came off too. 

Mother turned Yammy around to see how the front 
fitted. She pulled the coat together. 

“Well,” she remarked, “the buttons are off.” 

“Please, Mother,” Yammy whined in a pleading 
voice, “I don’t like this blue suit anyway. Let me try on 
a brown suit with buttons.” 

“Well, all right.” Mother spoke in an exhausted tone. 
She turned to the clerk. 

“Will you let us see a brown suit in size 8, please? 
And one with buttons?” 

“Buttons!” said the clerk in a surprised tone. And 
as he helped Yammy take the coat off he mumbled to 
himself, “I’m sure there were buttons on this coat.” 

[19} 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

Yammy tried on the brown twill suit. It fitted him 
perfectly, too. 

Yammy smiled at himself in the mirror. Mother 
smiled too, for he was a fine boy. He stood straight and 
tall with his shoulders back and his chest out and his 
stomach in. His toes pointed to the front and his heels 
were together. He was a healthy, strong boy. His hair 
was dark brown and thick. It would never stay out of 
his eyes, so Mother had it cut very short and sometimes 
it did look like a brush on top. His teeth were even and 
white, for Yammy did remember to clean his teeth 
every morning and every night. 

He turned to the mirror so as to look at the back of 
the suit. 

As he looked into it, he saw a very elegant lady run¬ 
ning after a little white poodle dog. The puppy had 
gotten loose from its leash and was scampering toward 
a pile of pillows in the drapery section. 

Yammy immediately ran to the other side of the store. 
“I’ll get your dog, lady. Just a minute, I’ll get it,” Yam¬ 
my called as he ran. 

Mother followed Yammy, scolding and shouting, 
“Yammy, Yammy. That new brown suit.” 

But Yammy did not hear a word she said. 

[20] 



Yammy landed right in the middle of the pile of pillows 






























































































































































































































































































A Shopping Tour 

The clerk ran after Mother and everyone started to 
run after the clerk. 

Yammy clambered under the counter but the little 
white poodle barked and ran around the pile of pillows. 
Yammy ran around the other way, but he stumbled and 
landed right in the middle of the pile of pillows. The 
beautiful, fluffy, lace cushions were scattered all over. 

The manager of the drapery section grumbled as he 
straightened the pillows on the floor. 

The little white poodle barked again. He thought 
Yammy was playing. He ran behind a long line of 
curtains hanging up for display. Yammy followed him. 
Yammy sneaked along the other side of the curtains. 
He was almost within reach of the little white poodle. 
Yammy swooped down. The dog jumped, but Yammy 
caught hold of its fur. The dog jerked away and was 
gone again. 

Yammy pulled the curtains aside and grabbed. This 
time he had good hold of the dog. The dog was very 
strong. As he tried to get away he pulled Yammy to 
the floor so that both boy and poodle rolled over and 
over. They pulled the curtains with them. One by one 
the curtains fell from the line and became entangled 
in Yammy and the barking dog. 

t a 3 } 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

The very elegant lady was there. All the clerks were 
there. Mother was there too. All she could see was a 
heap of torn curtains turning over and over. 

Mother tried to untangle Yammy. The very elegant 
lady tried to untangle her little white poodle. 

The curtains were torn into shreds. Yammy’s brown 
twill suit was mussed and dusty. But the little white 
poodle barked and barked. He seemed to be ready for 
another tumble. 

Mother took hold of Yammy’s shoulder. She marched 
him to the Boy’s Department. Yammy never said a 
word, he just pulled at the ticket on his sleeve. 

Mother never said a word either. Yammy wished 
Mother would say something, for he knew that when 
Mother was very, very, very angry, she never talked. 

Yammy dressed in his other suit and without eating 
lunch they went straight home. 

When they reached home, Mother finally spoke. 
“Yammy, why are you so thoughtless? Why don’t you 
think before you act? You are always getting into mis¬ 
chief.” 

Yammy kept his eyes to the floor. He mumbled very 
low, “Why—a, why—a,—I did think. Yes, I did, 
Mother.” 


iu ] 


A Shopping Tour 

Mother continued to scold. “I just don’t know what 
to do with you. Every time I take you out you get into 
trouble. You can see for yourself why you can’t have 
a bicycle. I would be worried about you every minute 
you were gone. Goodness knows, I worry about you 
when I am right with you.” 

Yammy just mumbled again, “Why—a, why—a.” 

But still Mother went on, “Come, Yammy, I am 
going to punish you. You will have to stand in this 
corner with your face to the wall for one whole hour.” 

And Mother talked on and on as she made the mark 
on the wall in the corner of the kitchen. Yammy stood 
with his nose on the little black mark. Soon his little 
puppy dog Powder softly crept over to him. 

Powder looked up with sorry eyes. “What’s the mat¬ 
ter?” he barked. 

“Sh, sh,” whispered Yammy. 

Powder huddled close to Yammy and hung his head 
low and dropped his tail between his legs. And there 
they stood for one whole hour. 

Yammy really didn’t ever mean to be naughty. He 
always did things without thinking. And then too, it 
seemed much easier for Yammy to do something else 
instead of the thing he should do. So he always ended 
[25] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

up by having done the wrong thing instead of the right 
thing. 

Mother worried about him and Daddy worried about 
him. The two grandmothers, the one who couldn’t 

hear very well and the 
one who heard every¬ 
thing, worried about 
him. His fat grand¬ 
father worried about 
him and so did his 
thin grandfather. And 
his rich Uncle Yam¬ 
my away out in Ha¬ 
waii worried about 
him too. 



C26} 


Chapter 11 

A VISIT TO THE JONESES 


<? 
^_Jev 


Several days later Mother tele¬ 
phoned to the store downtown and had both suits sent 
out. She knew they fitted him perfectly. 

Now Yammy was dressed in his new, brown twill 
suit and how fine he did look. The new, dark blue twill 
suit was hanging in his closet. Mother did like a dark 
blue twill suit for Sundays and for best. 

“Shall I pack this sweater?” Yammy asked. 

“If it doesn’t fit you any more,” replied Mother. 
“Let’s see.” 

Yammy jerked the sweater over his head. It stuck 
fast against his ears—and he couldn’t pull it on or he 
couldn’t pull it off. 

“Hey, Mother,” yelled Yammy in a muffled sound. 
“Help me, I’m smothering.” 

“I see it doesn’t fit,” laughed Mother, as she gave the 
sweater an extra good jerk. Yammy thought his ears 
were coming off too. 

[27) 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

A large suitcase was almost filled—three suits, four 
sweaters, four caps, two woolen scarfs, four pairs of 
shoes and ten shirts. 

“I think that is a fine start for the Joneses.” 

“Are we going to take them out today? Gee, Mother, 
if 1, just had a bicycle, I could pack them in the basket 
and you wouldn’t have to go.” 

“Please, Yammy, stop nagging about a bicycle,” 
scolded Mother. “We will drive out this morning with 
the clothes. The children will be home, that is, if they 
aren’t working on Saturdays.” 

“Working! Why, Mother, you mean the children 
might be working?” 

“Yes, Yammy, that is what I mean. They do not have 
a daddy to take care of them.” 

“And do they get money for their work, just the same 
as Daddy?” inquired Yammy. 

“Yes, they do get money, but they do not get as much 
as Daddy.” 

“I think they are pretty lucky to have their own 
money. I wish I had some money, Mother.” 

“Yammy, you don’t need any money. Daddy gets 
you what you need.” 

“Oh, shucks, Mother. All boys need money.” 

[28] 


A Visit to the Joneses 

Just as they were leaving, the telephone rang. It was 
Grandmother, the one who could hear. 

Yammy spoke loud and clear. “We are going to some 
poor people, Grandmother. I’ve packed some clothes 
for them.” 

And then Grandmother talked and talked and all 
Yammy could say was “Yes, Grandmother—yes, Grand¬ 
mother—yes, Grandmother.” Then he hung up the 
receiver. 

“Mother, that was Grandmother. She wants us to 
call for her. She has some clothes that maybe can be 
made over for the children.” 

“How thoughtful,” spoke up Mother. “Maybe both 
grandmothers would like to go with us. It is such a 
lovely morning.” 

And in no time they were all on their way. Mother 
and Grandmother, the one who could hear, were in the 
front seat of the car. Yammy and Powder and Grand¬ 
mother, the one who couldn’t hear very well, sat in the 
back seat. 

The streets were winding and wide in their suburb. 
The houses were beautiful with big yards. They drove 
to the main street which led them to a long, wide boule¬ 
vard that took them into Chicago. They drove on and 
[29] 


Yatnmy Buys a Bicycle 

on and the streets became narrow and the houses were 
smaller. Still they kept on until they came to a tiny 
house tucked away behind a large building. There was 
no yard to play in, for the small space was cluttered 
with large wooden boxes. 

Yammy took hold of Grandmother’s hand and pulled 
her head down until he could talk directly into her good 
ear. 

“Why don’t they clean up their yard?” he asked. 

“Sh, sh,” whispered Grandmother loudly. “That yard 
belongs to this store in front, and those boxes belong to 
the store too.” 

“I’ll go in first,” said Mother. 

“I want to go too,” said Yammy. “You said I could 
go in.” 

“Yes, let Yammy go in,” suggested Grandmother. 
“We will sit in the car and wait.” 

Mother knocked at the door, but there was no answer. 
She knocked again and still there was no answer. 

“I hear noises. Some one is in there,” said Mother. 

Yammy was at the window. He was laughing. He 
talked excitedly. “Mother, they are playing, they are 
running around the table. The little one is hiding some¬ 
thing.” 



The children were lined up against the wall 






































































A Visit to the Joneses 


Yammy knocked hard at the window and the noises 
stopped suddenly. 

Then the door was opened by a tiny, roly-poly, golden¬ 
haired girl. 

“I’m Yammy Clumshanks. I brought you some¬ 
thing.” 

The little girl looked at Yammy and then at Mother 
and then she turned and called in a high, squeaky 
voice, “Mamma, mamma, here’s Yummy. He brought 
us something yummy.” 

“Hello, you are Mrs. Clumshanks, aren’t you? Your 
husband said you might come today. When I clean his 
office he stops and speaks to me sometimes. He is a 
very kind gentleman. Won’t you come in?” 

“Thank you, Mrs. Jones, we can stay only a few 
minutes.” 

The children were lined up against the wall, four of 
them. Mrs. Jones introduced each one. 

“This is George. He is my biggest boy. George is 
eight. He usually works on Saturday, but this morning 
he woke up with the sniffles so I thought it best to keep 
him home. He has just been helping me quilt. And 
this is Buddy. He is seven. And this is Bobby who is 
six, and here is our Jolly. She is three.’’ 

C 33 J 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

Jolly came running over to Yammy calling at the top 
of her squeaky voice, “Yummy, Yummy.” 

Mrs. Clumshanks took Jolly in her arms. “You are 
Jolly, aren’t you?” 

The little girl snuggled her golden head on Mrs. 
Clumshanks’ shoulder. “I is Jolly, I is Jolly.” 

“Come, sit down, Mrs. Clumshanks. George, show 
Yammy our workroom.” 

Yammy followed George and right behind them were 
Buddy, Bobby, and little Jolly. 

“I come too, here I come. Jolly wants to come.” 

The workroom was the largest of the three rooms. 
Yammy had never seen such a peculiar room. There 
were very few chairs and in the center stood a large 
frame on which was a beautiful blue and white quilt. 

“Mother is quilting and I have been helping her 
today,” explained George. 

“But I thought you bought quilts in stores?” ques¬ 
tioned Yammy. 

George laughed. “But Yammy, somebody has to 
make them. Of course, the factories make some, but 
people like the handmade quilts.” 

“Is it hard to do?” asked Yammy. 

“No. Mamma sewed the pieces together and then she 

C34] 


A Visit to the Joneses 

stretched it out on the frame and then Lucy helped put 
the cotton in.” 

“Who is Lucy?” 

This time Buddy answered proudly, “Lucy’s our big 
sister. She is ten. She helps Mrs. Anderson take care 
of their baby every Saturday and Sunday.” 

“My Lucy, Jolly’s Lucy,” cried little fat Jolly, as she 
ran around the quilting frame. 

George picked up the needle. “See, Yammy? Then 
after Mamma marks off the pattern, she quilts it. You 
have to take tiny stitches and they must be even.” 

He worked his needle up and down, up and down. 

“Is that another quilt there, George?” asked Yammy. 

“No, that’s a rug frame. That’s Lucy’s. She makes 
rugs from old silk stockings. Mother gathers up the 
old stockings from the girls at your father’s office. Then 
Lucy colors them and makes rugs. Look, here’s one 
that is finished. She will get $3.00 for this one.” 

“Three dollars! Gee, she is lucky. Three dollars all 
her own,” said Yammy thoughtfully. 

“Her own?” asked George in a questioning air. 
“Why of course, it won’t be her own. It will be Mam¬ 
ma’s money for all of us. Lucy will get some of it to 
save. I’m saving some of mine too.” 

C 35 J 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

Yammy just stared with big, wide-open eyes. 

“I’ll show you my bank.” George opened the closet 
door and dragged a chair close. He reached high and 
far back in the corner. He pulled out a baking powder 
can with a slit in the lid. He jiggled it up and down. 

Jolly held her hands high, “Jolly’s rattle, Jolly’s 
rattle.” 

“No, Jolly. This is George’s rattle.” He laughed as 
he mussed Jolly’s ringlets. 

“George, is all that your very own money?” asked 
Yammy. 

“Yes, it is all my very own.” George held up his bank 
proudly and threw back his shoulders. “And I earned 
it all by myself. I gather old papers and sell them.” 

Yammy’s eyes were big with wonder. “I wish I had 
some money.” 

“Oh, you are just joking, you can get money when¬ 
ever you want it,” said George. 

“No, I can’t. I never had that much money. I get 
25 cents on Saturdays, but that is all.” 

“Wheee!” whistled George. “That is all? Twenty- 
five cents is a lot of money. Why do you get it?” 

“Well—well, for Saturday,” Yammy answered un¬ 
certainly. 


C36} 


’A Visit to the Joneses 

“For Saturday? What do you mean? What do you 
do to get it?” asked George. 

“Well, Daddy just gives it to me, to spend.” 

“To spend? Don’t you save any of it?” 

“No, I never did. I buy pencils and tops and gum 
and candy.” 

George shook his head, “If you want a lot of money 
like this,” and George rattled his bank louder than ever, 
“why don’t you save it?” 

“I just never thought of that.” 

“There’s twelve big dollars ini here. I’ve been saving 
for one whole year.” 

“Twelve dollars! My that is a lot of money. And all 
your own.” 

“Sure, I’m saving for a bike. Then I can run errands 
for people. I’ll make a lot of money for Mamma.” 

Yammy just stood with his mouth open. “A bike, a 
bicycle,” he thought to himself. “Saving for a bicycle.” 

“Come, Yammy. It is time for us to go.” Mother was 
at the door. “The Grandmothers will be waiting for us.” 

“Oh, Mrs. Clumshanks, why didn’t you tell me they 
were there? I will go to the car with you.” And Mrs. 
Jones reached for her sweater. 

Powder was getting impatient. When Yammy stepped 

[37] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

into the yard he jumped from Grandmother’s lap and 
ran around in circles. 

Jolly tumbled after the dog. “Jolly’s doggie,” she 
sang over and over. 

As Yammy climbed into the back seat Powder 
^ squeezed in and they all waved good- 

C's 1 ' bye to the Jones family stand¬ 

ing in a row. 

u 





Chapter 111 

YAMMY DECIDES TO WORK 


y 


ammy, how did you like the 
Joneses?” asked Grandmother. 

“Oh, Grandmother, I just love them all. And they 
all work. I think I’m going to start working.” 

Mother and the grandmothers laughed at Yammy. 
This made him very angry. 

“Well, I mean it. I’m going to work.” 

“But Yammy dear, you can’t do anything.” Mother 
spoke in a soft voice. 

Yammy was just about crying, but he brushed the 
tears away quickly with the back of his hand. “I can 
do lots of things, but you just never let me do anything. 
George works and he’s got lots of money and he’s going 
to buy a bicycle.” 

“But Yammy, he doesn’t have a daddy to help him,” 
said Grandmother. 

Yammy was excited and his voice came loud. “My 
daddy won’t buy me a bicycle, so I’m going to work 
for one.” 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“Good for you, Yammy,” cheered Grandmother, the 
one who couldn’t hear very well. “I’m glad to hear you 
talk like that. I think you are a good sport.” 

Yammy’s pout turned to smiles and he reached over 
and kissed Grandmother on the nose. 

“Mother, I think Yammy could do some work for 
me on Saturdays and I’ll pay him for it,” said Grand¬ 
mother, the one who couldn’t hear. And then she 
winked at Yammy. 

“And he could help me too, after school. I’ll pay him 
for it,” said Grandmother, the one who could hear. 

“And I’m not going to spend my quarters any more. 
I’m going to save them. Then will you let me get a 
bicycle?” asked Yammy. 

“We’ll see. We’ll talk to Daddy about it,” Mother 
answered. 

Daddy was waiting for them when they reached home. 
The Grandfathers were there too, looking for the Grand¬ 
mothers. 

“Let’s have lunch right away. I’m starved,” moaned 
Daddy. 

“I’ll tell Linda,” answered Mother, as she went into 
the kitchen. 

“Lan’ sakes, Mis’ Clumshanks,” complained Linda, 

[ 40 ] 


Yammy Decides to Work 

the colored maid. “I sure din ’spect to hab to make 
lunch for an army.” 

“Hush, Linda, there isn’t much to do, for we will 
have a cold lunch.” 

Yammy followed Mother into the kitchen. 

“I’ll help you, Linda, if you pay me. I’m going to 
start saving my money.” 

“Yammy Clumshanks, you git out ob here. If I’se 
got to make lunch for de army, I’se got to be by myself. 
Now git.” And Linda reached for the broom. 

Yammy flew from the kitchen. With his hands in 
his pockets he slouched into the living room. Every¬ 
one was talking at once. They were telling Mr. Clum¬ 
shanks and the Grandfathers about the Joneses. 

“And Jolly is a darling,” spoke Mother. “I would 
love to get her some pretty clothes.” 

“Little Buddy and Bobby are well-mannered chil¬ 
dren,” added Grandmother, the one who could hear. 

“And I like George, he is a capable little fellow. I 
admire a boy like that,” said Grandmother, the one who 
couldn’t hear very well. 

Yammy kicked at the rung on his chair and gazed 
at the curtains. 

“What’s the matter, Son?” asked Daddy. 

Ui] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“Oh, shucks, they all treat me like a baby around 
here. I want to work and save my money. George is 
going to buy a bicycle with his own money and I want 
a bicycle too.” 

“And I think he is right,” said Grandmother, the one 
who couldn’t hear very well. 

“And I, too, think he is right,” said Grandmother, 
the one who could hear. 

“And so do I,” said the fat Grandpa. 

“And I do too,” said the skinny Grandpa. 

“And Mother, what do you think?” asked Daddy. 

“Oh, Daddy, you know I would worry if he should 
get a bicycle. Tell me, what do you think?” 

Daddy patted Yammy on the shoulder and then he 
said, “Mother, I think we will have to give in. If our 
boy earns his own money and saves it and wants to 
get a bicycle with it, we ought to let him.” 

“Whoopee, whoopee,” shouted Yammy. “Gee, you’re 
swell, Daddy. Grandmother, I’m going home with you 
after lunch and I’ll work hard all afternoon. How much 
will you pay me?” 

“We’ll see after you’ve finished your work. I’ll pay 
you what you are worth.” 

Yammy was excited all during his meal and it was 
C42 ] 


Yammy Decides to Work 

hard for him to be patient. He was anxious to really 
begin his work. 

Grandmother was going to begin her spring house¬ 
cleaning next week. There were lots of small jobs to 
be done. 

“We will clean this desk first,” ordered Grandmother, 
when she and Yammy arrived at her home. 

“But I thought I was going to do real hard work, like 
cleaning the wall paper or something.” Yammy was 
disappointed. 

“This is hard work. Gracious, child. I never did like 
to clean drawers. Come I’ll sort these papers. You 
take this drawer. Find all the snapshots we took last 
year and paste them in this album.” 

“This is just play,” said Yammy disgustedly. 

“It may be play for you, but it is work for me. I don’t 
like to do it.” 

By dinnertime Yammy and Grandmother had fin¬ 
ished with the desk and living room tables. 

Y amm y received two dimes and one nickel. He 
thanked Grandmother and kissed her on the nose. Then 
he trudged home, whistling gaily as he jingled the money 
in his pocket. 

Daddy gave him his regular 25 cents. 

C 43 I 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“George has a baking powder can with a slit in the 
lid, and he keeps it safe in his closet,” explained Yam¬ 
my. “I’ll ask Linda for one.” 

Linda was busy with the last minute frills for dinner. 

“Yammy Clumshanks, you knows I don’t ’low you 
in here when I’se gettin’ de dinner.” 

“I want a baking powder can, an empty one.” 

“Now where do you s’pose I would hab a empty bakin’ 
powder can? I frows dem away.” 

“But it has to be an empty one, Linda. This is im¬ 
portant.” Yammy held up his money. “See Linda, I 
told you I was saving and I want to make a bank.” 

“Bless my soul, honey chile, sure ’nough you’se savin’ 
your moneys. I’ll see what I kin do for you.” 

The baking powder can was half full but Linda 
emptied it into a jar. She cleaned it thoroughly and 
cut a slit in the top. 

Yammy dropped in his quarter and then his two dimes 
and then his nickel. 

Then Linda lifted her big, white apron, and she lifted 
her big, blue skirt and she reached in a little pocket of 
her big, gray petticoat where she kept her change purse. 
She drew out a new, shiny penny and dropped it in the 
bank. 


[44] 


Yammy Decides to Work 


Yammy threw his arms around her big, fat waist and 
said, “Gee, Linda, you are scRUMdolious.” 

“You is scrumdols, too, my honey chile. Now stop 
botherin’ me and git.” This time she laughed loud as 
she reached for the 
broom. 

Yammy ran 
from the 
kitchen. He 
danced up 
the stairs, 
jingling the 
bank and sing¬ 
ing as he went. 

“ Y ammy’s 
rattle, Yam- 
my’s rattle.” 



[4Sl 



Chapter IV 

HOOKY, THE NEW PET 


V. 


hursday was Mother’s regular 
shopping day. The family had just finished breakfast 
and Mother was reading the Community Shopping 
News for bargains. 

Daddy picked up part of the paper and glanced 
through it. He came to the ads: To Be Given Away. 
“Say, Mother,” he teased. “Here are all kinds of things 
to be given away. You won’t need any money this 
week.” He read aloud, “Three pairs blue curtains. 
There you are, you wanted new curtains in the sun 
room.” 

“Hush,” said Mother. 

He continued reading, “Five baby kittens, ten days 
old. One rocking chair. Small girl’s clothing, size 3, 
like new.” 

Mother looked up, “Did you say size 3, small girl’s 
clothing?” 

[46] 


Hooky, the New Pet 

“That’s what I said, but we haven’t any girls in this 
family,” laughed Daddy. 

“For Jolly, though. She is about that age. Maybe 
they will fit Jolly. I’m going to copy that address and 
go around and look at them.” 

Daddy slapped the paper down and kissed Mother 
good-bye. Yammy hurried upstairs to get his books. 

On Thursdays Mother usually drove Yammy to 
school and continued on her way to the stores where 
she met the grandmothers. This morning she thought 
Yammy had better walk to school. That would give 
her more time to drive over and pick up the clothes that 
were to be given away. 

It was a fresh spring day, with just enough warmth 
in the breeze to make Yammy think that summer would 
soon be here. A garden snake crawled across the side¬ 
walk. Yammy watched it disappear in Mrs. Crawford’s 
petunia bed. He thought of the five baby kittens that 
were to be given away. 

He walked another block. Yammy smiled as he 
watched a cat chase a squirrel up a maple tree. He 
thought again of the five baby kittens. “Maybe by to¬ 
night they will be gone,” he said to himself. 

He walked another block. A black dog and a brown 

[ 47 ] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

dog were fighting in the street. He still thought of the 
five baby kittens. “I never did have a cat and here’s my 
chance to get one,” he told himself. 

Yammy turned. He went toward home, the same way 
he had come. 

“Get home, Prince,” called Yammy. The brown dog 
chased across the yard. 

Yammy hurried along. 

The cat was up in the tree now and couldn’t get down. 
Yammy was almost home. 

“Wonder if there’s a snake hole in Mrs. Crawford’s 
petunia bed,” thought Yammy. 

He went in the back way. Linda hadn’t gone yet. 
She called to him, “Is dat you, Yammy Clumshanks? 
What is you all doing home at dis time ob day?” 

“I forgot something,” mumbled Yammy. 

“You sho’r you all ain’t into no mischief?” scolded 
Linda. 

Yammy pretended not to hear. He picked up the 
Community Shopping News, and copied the address. 
“Now if I just had a bicycle, this would be easy,” 
thought Yammy. 

He tucked an old blanket under his arm and he was 

off. 


[48] 


Hooky, the New Pet 

It was not long before he was home again. They were 
adorable, fluffy little balls. Yammy carried them to the 
basement. 

Linda had gone by now and he was left alone. He 
fed them warm milk with a spoon. They mewed and 
cried. 

He rocked them and cuddled them and played with 
them. Still they mewed. They wanted their mother. 

He made a warm bed of cushions in the corner of the 
recreation room. 

He heard the clock strike. Not until then did he 
realize he had missed school. He rushed upstairs. It 
was fifteen minutes after one o’clock. He grabbed an 
apple and ran to school. 

Meantime Mother and the two Grandmothers had 
gotten the little girl’s clothing. There were lovely dresses 
and a beautiful red coat and hat to match. They had 
also finished their marketing and lunched earlier than 
usual. 

“Let’s visit Yammy at school,” said one of the Grand¬ 
mothers. 

“That’s a good idea,” answered Mother. “We haven’t 
been there this spring.” 

In Yammy’s room they waited quietly. The teacher 
[493 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

smiled and continued reading the story aloud. Mrs. 
Clumshanks and the two Grandmothers looked around. 

“Where is Yammy?” loudly whispered Grandmother, 
the one who couldn’t hear very well. 

Mother looked worried. “I don’t know,” she whis¬ 
pered back. 

The teacher finished reading and came to Mother. 
“Where is Yammy today?” she asked. 

Mrs. Clumshanks said anxiously, “He started to 
school. In fact, we left the house together. I wonder 
what has happened to him.” 

Mother and the two Grandmothers climbed the stairs 
to the superintendent’s office. Mother telephoned to 
Daddy. Daddy told Mother not to worry. Everything 
would be all right. He would come right home. 

Mother sank into a chair. She felt weak. The two 
Grandmothers fanned her with newspapers. The super¬ 
intendent gave Mother a drink of water. After a little 
while Mother and the two Grandmothers started for 
home. 

They sat in the living room waiting for Daddy. Pow¬ 
der was outside barking as loudly as he could. He was 
jealous of Yammy’s attention to the kittens and he tried 
hard to tell Mother all about it. 


Hooky, the New Pet 

Mother stared dreamily out of the window. She smiled 
sadly at Powder. 

“I hear a cat somewhere,” said Grandmother, the one 
who could hear. “I know I hear a cat. In this house, 
too.” 

“A cat,” said Mother drearily. “Yammy always want¬ 
ed a cat. I would get him anything he asked for, if only 
he were safe.” 

“Come now,” said Grandmother, the one who couldn’t 
hear very well, “drink this tea.” 

“I tell you there’s a cat in this house,” Grandmother 
said again. With that she went toward the basement. 
Just as she started down the basement steps, the tele¬ 
phone rang and just as the telephone rang, in walked 
Daddy with four policemen. 

Daddy rushed to Mother, “Don’t worry, Mother, we’ll 
find him. Now just tell us what happened.” 

The telephone kept buzzing loudly. Everyone was 
too excited to think about answering. 

“Well, for goodness sakes alive, look down here,” 
called Grandmother from the basement. 

Daddy picked up the receiver, “Yes, yes. He is? 
Well, now what do you know about that! Thank you 
very much for calling.” 

CsO 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 


He turned to Mother, “That was the superintendent. 
He said Yammy is at school.” 

“At school?” said Mother. “At school.” 

“Hurry down here, I say,” called Grandmother. “I 
told you I heard a cat, but I didn’t think I heard five.” 

Mother jumped up. “Five cats?” she cried. Had 
Grandmother said five cats? 

Mother and Daddy and Grandmother, the one who 
couldn’t hear very well, and the four policemen all 
marched downstairs. 

There they saw the five baby kittens. 

They also saw the contents of Mother’s sewing basket 
strewn all over the floor. The kittens’ milk was spilled. 
Mother’s lovely cretonne cushions were badly torn and 
a lamp was overturned and broken into bits. 

“Where in the world did he get them?” asked Mother. 

The policemen were smiling as they helped to 
straighten the room. 

Mother scolded, “Mr. Clumshanks, just look at what 
your son did! I tell you, you will have to get rid of 
those cats.” 

Daddy stood by helplessly. 

The first policeman said, “I’ll take this little white 
one for my little daughter.” 

[ 52 ] 




































Hooky, the New Pet 

The second policeman said, “I’ll take this little black 
one for my little son.” 

The third policeman said, “I’ll take this little golden 
one for my little granddaughter.” 

Then the fourth policeman said, “I’ll take this little 
gray one for my little grandson.” 

And then there was only one left. A homely little 
bunch of fur, a mixture of all colors—black head, tan 
body with brownish spots, white tail and grayish white 
paws. It rubbed its head against Daddy’s trouser leg 
and looked up with big, green eyes, “Mew, mew, mew.” 

Daddy stooped down to stroke it gently, “Mother, 
let’s keep this one for Yammy.” 

When Yammy came home from school Mother was 
at the door waiting for him. 

The minute Yammy saw Mother’s face he looked 
toward the ground and shuffled his feet one against the 
other. 

Mother didn’t say anything. Then Yammy looked up. 

“What’s the matter, Mother?” he asked innocently. 

Mother put her hands on her hips. “You know 
what’s the matter, Yammy Clumshanks. And you will 
have to be punished for it. Now go straight to the kitch¬ 
en and stand in the corner.” 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

Yammy knew which corner Mother meant because 
the mark was still on the wall. Little puppy dog Powder 
came and stood next to him. 

“Mew, mew,” cried the little kitten from the base¬ 
ment. 

“Mother,” shouted Yammy joyfully, his back still 
toward Mother, “are you going to let me keep them?” 

“No, not them,” smiled Mother. “But you may keep 
» 

one. 

“Gee, Mother, you’re swell,” he shouted the words, 
and rushed down the stairs. He held the kitten in one 
arm as he went back to the corner. 

“Woof, woof,” barked Powder. 

“Be quiet, Powder,” scolded Yammy. “Eh—oh— 
Hooky. That’s it. That’s it—your name. Hooky is a 
fine name. Hooky is here for keeps and you’d better 
be friendly.” 

Powder lay his head on the floor and whined softly. 

“Oh, come now, Powder. Be a good sport.” 

Powder barked with joy and jumped into Yammy’s 
other arm. 


Chapter V 

GEORGE AND YAMMY MAKE A PLAN 


% 


'he sun shone brightly in Yam- 
my’s room and the warm perfumed air flowed softly 
in. “Gee, it’s a swell day,” thought Yammy. “Summer 
will soon be here.” 

He stood by the window and turned on the radio. 

The morning exercises sang loudly, “One, two, 
three, four—one, two, three, four.” Yammy began, up 
and down, legs out, legs in, head up, head sideways. 
“That makes me feel grand. I’m going to do this every 
morning. I’ll have the biggest muscles of any boy in 
school.” 

“Yammy, Yammy,” called Mother. “If you want to 
keep this kitten, you will have to get up earlier in the 
morning and take care of it.” 

“I’m up, Mother. I’ll get the milk for Hooky.” Yam¬ 
my was downstairs in a minute. 

“Mew, mew,” Hooky was under the stove, but when 
she heard Yammy she ran out to meet him. 

[ 57 ] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“Are you hungry, Hooky? Linda, may I have this 
saucer for Hooky?” 

“I ain’t got no time for dat cat, goodness knows, 
Yammy Clumshanks. Powder bothers me ’nough. I hab 
been takin’ care of dat cat eber since it’s ben here and 
I’se through.” 

“I’ll take care of it, Linda. I’ll take care of you, 
Hooky.” Yammy poured the milk into the saucer. 

“Mother are you going to take the clothes to Jolly 
next Saturday?” Yammy asked. 

“I hope to, Yammy. I thought surely we would have 
them there before now,” Mother answered. 

“May I go with you?” asked Yammy. 

“We’ll see. You are a working man now. You just 
can’t take time off when you want to. Grandmother 
will be expecting you to help her.” 

“That’s right. I’m going to start on her basement. 
That’s a big job.” 

“And Grandmother said she would give me a dollar 
for it. Oh boy, I know I will get that bicycle soon.” 

Hooky’s milk was all gone. She started to mew 
again. 

“I’ll get you some more, Hooky. You are a hungry 
little thing.” Yammy filled the saucer again. 

[583 


George and Yammy Make a Plan 

“Gee, Mother, I’d like to go to the Joneses with you. 
I wish I could.” 

“Maybe you could make some arrangements,” sug¬ 
gested Mother. 

“I’ll call Grandmother.” 

And it was decided that Yammy come a few nights 
after school and finish the job the next week. 

Saturday morning the Joneses were all very busy. 
Mrs. Jones and Lucy were both out working. George 
was taking care of the smaller ones and even then he 
was working as he did that. The quilt was almost 
finished. 

“For Yummy, Yummy, Yummy.” Fat, little Jolly 
held up an old teddy bear. 

“And we have something for Jolly,” said Yammy. 

“Mother, let’s dress her and surprise Mrs. Jones.” 

Yammy, George, Buddy, Bobby, and Jolly stood 
around the box as Mrs. Clumshanks unfolded the little 
dresses. 

“Jolly’s dresses, Jolly’s dresses,” she sang and danced 
around and around. 

“Yes, Jolly’s dresses. Let’s try this blue one.” 

“Blue dress? Jolly’s blue dress. Ooooooh, pretty 
dress. Ooooooh, pretty Jolly.” She smoothed her dress. 

C 591 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“She’s like a real live doll, isn’t she, Mother?” 

Jolly was—all blue and white—with big, blue eyes 
and her golden curls were like a frilly, lace cap around 
her face. 

Mrs. Clumshanks packed the rest of the clothes back 
into the box. 

“Now Jolly and I will get dinner for Mamma, shall 
we, Jolly?” Mrs. Clumshanks gave Jolly a good 
squeeze. Then she turned to Buddy. 

“When will Mamma be home?” 

“Mom will be home about 12 o’clock,” he answered. 

“Mother, I’ll help George a little while,” said Yammy. 

As soon as George and Yammy were in the work 
room, Yammy whispered, “Say, George, I got a bank. 
I’m saving for a bicycle.” 

“Are you really? How much have you got?” 

“Two dollars and twenty-five cents.” 

“Whee—$2.25. Where did you get it?” George was 
interested. 

“I help my grandmothers on Saturdays. I just had to 
tell you. I helped them after school all this week.” 

“Say, maybe we could get our bikes together and they 
will give them to us cheaper.” George smiled and 
scratched his head. 



“She’s like a real live doll, isn’t she, Mother?” 









































George and Yammy Make a Plan 

“Yes, let’s get the same kind of bicycle. But why will 
we get them cheaper?” asked Yammy. 

George looked disgusted. “That’s big business,” he 
said slowly. 

“Big bithness,” repeated Jolly as she rolled over and 
over like a little fat bug. 

“I’d like to get mine next Christmas,” said Yammy. 

“That’s when I got it figured I can get mine. Gee, 
if I get a bike, I can deliver packages and run errands. 
Then I’ll really be helping Mamma.” 

“Come, Yammy. We should be going.” 

Yammy grabbed his hat and followed Mother. 
George walked to the car with them. 

“Good-bye, Yammy, I’ll be seeing you.” 

“Can’t you come some Saturday afternoon, this next 
Saturday?” 

“Maybe I can, I will try. I will call you Saturday 
morning.” 

“I’ll be at grandmother’s, you will have to call me 
there.” 

“All right, about 10 o’clock.” 

“O. K. that’s a date.” 


C6 3} 


Chapter VI 

DADDY'S SURPRISE 


y. 


ammy went over to Grand¬ 
mother’s early Saturday morning. 

He told Grandmother that George might come in the 
afternoon and he wanted to finish his work by noon. 

“I’ll tell you what let’s do. That is, if George comes. 
Let’s go to the zoo this afternoon.” 

“Oh, Grandmother, you are scRUMdolious.” 

Just then the telephone rang. 

“I’ll take it, Grandmother.” 

It was George. As soon as George finished talking, 
Yammy slumped in a heap on the stairs. 

“What’s the matter?” asked Grandmother. 

“Oh, gee, George can’t come.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because he is going to clean a yard. Now I won’t 
have any fun.” Yammy sat with a pouty face. 

“Shame on you, Yammy. Was George grumbling 
about it too?” 


[64] 


Daddy s Surprise 

“No, but he was sorry. He said he needed work.” 
Yammy held his face in his hands. 

“Come now, you are just as much of a man as George. 
Stop that pouting.” Grandmother patted him on the 
back. “That gives me an idea. Yammy, do you think 
you could clean a yard?” 

“Sure, I could clean a yard. If George can do it, so 
can I. Only you won’t let me do that. You always get 
a yard man.” 

“Well, Yammy, maybe this year I will let you be my 
yard man. I will pay you instead of our regular yard 
man. How does that sound to you?” 

“Gee, Grandmother, my bank will be full before I 
know it. And I’ll keep your yard as slick as a whistle.” 

And Yammy did. 

Every Saturday he was at one of the Grandmothers 
or else he was home cleaning his own yard. 

And every Saturday he dropped the quarters in the 
baking powder bank. 

The Grandmothers and the Grandfathers and Mother 
and Daddy were all very proud of the way Yammy 
had really saved his money. 

But proudest of all was Yammy himself. He would 
count his money over and over again. He looked for- 

[65] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

ward to the long summer, when he could do some work 
every day, instead of just on Saturday. 

One evening early in June Daddy came home all 
excited. 

“I’m starved, let’s have dinner right away,” said 
Daddy. “I have lots to tell you.” 

Mother took hold of one arm and Yammy took hold 
of the other arm and together they dragged him into 
the living room. 

“Is it a letter from Uncle Yammy?” asked Mother. 

“Tell us now, Daddy. Dinner won’t be ready for a 
long time,” begged Yammy. 

“No, I’m not going to tell till I get something to eat,” 
teased Daddy. 

“Oh, please do,” said Mother. “The Grandmothers 
and Grandfathers are coming to dinner tonight and they 
won’t be here for a while.” 

“No, I can’t tell until I get something to eat.” 

With that Daddy flopped in his big easy chair and 
Yammy read the funny papers to make the time go 
faster. 

At dinner time, as soon as they were all seated around 
the table, Daddy started to tell. 

“I have to be in California for three months.” 


£66] 


Daddy s Surprise 

“For three whole months? What will we do without 
you?” asked Mother. The little wrinkles were begin¬ 
ning to show in Mother’s forehead. 

“Why, Mother, I wouldn’t go without you and Yam- 
my. I want you both to go with me.” 

“To California!” shouted Yammy. “All the way to 
California. Oh, boy, what a grand vacation.” 

“Quiet, Yammy. Let Daddy talk.” 

“We will have to leave as soon as school is out,” ex¬ 
plained Daddy. 

The Grandmother who could hear and the Grand¬ 
fathers were smiling broadly. But Grandmother, the 
one who couldn’t hear very well, held her hand to her 
ear. 

As soon as Yammy noticed this, he ran around and 
told her everything in her good ear. Then she smiled 
too. 

She turned to the fat Grandfather and said, “I have 
a notion to go myself. I haven’t been to California for 
years and years.” 

“Why, of course, go if you want to,” said the fat 
Grandfather, and he leaned over to be sure Grand¬ 
mother heard him. 

“Yes, sir, I will,” she said shaking her head. 

[67} 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“And why don’t you go too?” asked the thin Grand¬ 
father to the Grandmother who heard everything. 

“Yes, sir, I will,” she said and shook her head too. 

“Oh boy, oh gee.” Yammy ran around the table and 
kissed the Grandmothers on the noses. “Aren’t we go¬ 
ing to have a wonderful summer?” 

“Yammy, sit down. You shouldn’t be jumping around 
during a meal,” corrected Mother. 

“Yes, Mother.” And Yammy sat very still for about 
one minute. Then he jumped up suddenly. 

“Mother, what about my bicycle?” 

“Well, what about your bicycle?” asked Daddy. 

“I won’t be able to clean the yards if I go away.” 
Yammy was speaking in a high and excited voice. “No, 
I’m not going, I’ll stay here with the Grandpas, ’cause 
I want to save for my bicycle.” 

“Not so loud,” hushed Mother. 

Grandmother, the one who couldn’t hear very well, 
smiled. “Yammy, I think you are growing into a fine 
worker. There will be lots of ways to fill your bank. 
You can help with the luggage for one thing.” 

“But who will clean your yard?” 

“I suppose I’ll have to get my old yard man back 
again.” 


[68] 


Daddy’s Surprise 

Yammy pushed his chocolate cake and jello to one 
side and thumped his fingers on the table. All of a sud¬ 
den, he took a big bite of the chocolate cake and talked 
fast. 

“I have it, Grandmother. I have a swell idea. Now 
that I can’t clean the yards, couldn’t you hire George? 
He would love to earn that money.” 

“Yammy, I’m downright proud of you,” said Grand¬ 
mother. 

After dinner, Mother and Yammy helped carry some 
of the dishes to the kitchen. 

“Miss Clumshanks, I done heard you all is gwine to 
California. If you all is gwine away all de summer, I’se 
gwine be gone too. I’se gwine to visit my kinfolks down 
in Alabam.” 

“I think that can be arranged, Linda. You haven’t 
been there for a long time.” 

“But who will take care of Powder and Hooky?” 
asked Yammy. 

“Yammy Clumshanks, you’se don’t need to think I’se 
gwine to stay home for dem animals.” 

“But Linda, someone has to take care of them. Please, 
Mother, let me take them.” 

“We can’t possibly think of that, Yammy.” 

[69} 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“Please, Mother. They won’t be any bother.” 

Powder barked loudly and ran in and out of Yammy’s 
legs. Powder knew they were talking about him. 

“Never mind, Powder, I’ll be thinking of you.” Yam¬ 
my held him close and carried him into the living room. 
Hooky followed. 

“Mother, do you know what?” asked Yammy. 

“No, what?” 

“The Joneses will take Hooky for the summer. Jolly 
would be so glad to have her. Then we’ll take Powder 
with us.” 

“I’ll help take care of Powder, if you’ll let him go,” 
said Grandmother, the one who couldn’t hear very well. 

“I would be worried having a dog trailing us every¬ 
where we went. Where would he eat? Where would 
he sleep?” questioned Mother. 

“Yammy and I will find a way. Besides I’d like to 
have Powder sleep under my bed. I don’t like to sleep 
in a hotel room all alone.” 

“Then Grandmother, you and Yammy will have to 
take, full charge of Powder.” 

Grandmother and Yammy danced and sang Ring 
Around a Rosy, until they almost became dizzy. Pow¬ 
der gave one loud bark of happiness. 

t 7°] 


Chapter VII 

PLANS FOR THE TRIP 


WL 


ith California in Yammy’s 
mind the last two weeks of school passed quickly. Yam- 
my worked every Saturday and every evening after 
school. 

George came one day to help Yammy and to see just 
what he was to do before the Grandmothers left. He 
was glad to have so much work for the summer. Hooky 
was already living with the Joneses. 

The trunk and suitcases were packed and all the last 
minute things were taken care of. Now they were just 
waiting for tomorrow evening to come. 

Daddy came home in the afternoon. Yammy knew 
something was wrong. Daddy rushed in to Mother. 
He said in a soft voice, “I won’t be able to leave tomor¬ 
row. Something came up at the office.” 

Mother became upset and said excitedly, “What’s the 
trouble? What happened, Daddy? Tell us, tell us.” 

“Don’t worry, Mother. Everything will be all right. 

C 71 3 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

There is an important meeting day after tomorrow and 
I must be there.” 

“Oh, shucks, Daddy. Won’t we go to California?” 
Yammy was disappointed. 

“Surely, we will go. You all won’t have to change 
your plans. You will leave tomorrow evening and I’ll 
take a plane and meet you in Los Angeles,” explained 
Daddy. 

“Will it be long before you come?” asked Mother. 

“No, I will get there just a few days after you. Uncle 
Yammy will be in Los Angeles. I wanted to surprise 
you. But now I just had to tell you. He will be there 
to meet you.” 

Yammy burst out with a loud, “Hurrah, Daddy. We 
will really be with Uncle Yammy. Oh, I can’t wait to 
see him.” 

Mother was smiling. “That is a surprise. Have you 
known it very long? We will be glad to see him, but I 
do wish you could come with us.” 

“I know you do, Mother, but I can’t manage it. If I 
take the plane it won’t really be such a long time.” 

“Oh, Daddy, please let me go with you? I never was 
in an airplane. Please, please.” 

Daddy looked at Mother, but Mother shook her head. 


Plans for the Trip 

“No, Yammy, that will never do. Daddy has business 
to attend to and he can’t be thinking of you.” 

“Oh please, Mother? Every boy should ride in an 
airplane some time in his life.” 

Mother’s forehead was crinkled into little lines. Yam¬ 
my knew that she was worrying again. “You always 
get into mischief. What will you do without me to 
watch you?” 

Daddy took hold of Yammy’s shoulder and put his 
other arm around Mother. “I think it would be a good 
thing for Yammy to fly with me. We two will get along 
nicely. It will only be a short while without you.” 

Then Daddy kissed Mother and Mother smiled. And 
then Yammy knew he could go the airplane way. 

The Grandmothers and the Grandfathers came over 
early the next evening. Mother had called them and 
told them all about changing the plans, and they wanted 
to hear more. And so Mother told them all over again. 

“And where’s Yammy now?” they all asked. 

He was sitting on his bed counting his money. $10.75. 
He counted it three times. Powder sniffed at the 
quarters. 

“Powder Clumshanks, what would you do with 
money?” Yammy dropped the quarters one by one into 

[ 73 ] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

the can. Powder pushed the can across the floor. He 
liked the rattling noise it made. 

“Come, Yammy,” called Grandmother impatiently. 
“We won’t have much time to be together before we 
start. Come and help carry these suitcases to the car.” 

“I’m coming,” called Yammy. 

Yammy and Daddy and the Grandfathers were going 
to take the rest of the family to the train. Yammy helped 
carry the suitcases to the car. He helped haul the trunk 
to the porch and soon they were ready to go. They all 
climbed into the big car. 

“Powder,” called Grandmother. “I almost forgot. 
I’m taking Powder with me.” 

“I’ll get him,” Yammy bounced up the steps and into 
the house. 

“Powder, Powder,” he called, but no Powder came. 

Yammy hopped up the stairs. “Where are you, Pow¬ 
der?” 

Powder was not upstairs. Yammy called loudly and 
whistled. 

“Bark, bark,” a muffled sound came from the attic. 

Yammy climbed the attic stairs. “What are you doing 
up here? You know you shouldn’t go up there.” 

Yammy lifted him and rubbed his woolly back. “Good 

['74 3 


Plans for the Trip 

old Powder. What’s the trouble? Don’t you want to go 
without me?” 

Yammy hurried out of the house and into the car, with 
Powder on his lap. “I guess he hated to leave me. He 
was hiding up in the attic.” 

“The attic?” said Mother. “Did someone leave that 
attic door open again?” 

Yammy defended himself, “I guess Linda did it when 
she got the suitcases.” 

One hour later they were all saying good-bye to each 
other. Mother had tears in her eyes and she hugged 
Yammy until he said, “Ouch.” 

Then Daddy and Yammy and the Grandfathers drove 
home. 



C 75 3 






Chapter Fill 
THE PLANE RIDE 


_ _/ hree days later Yammy and 

Daddy took a cab to the airport. 

It was an exciting, noisy place with the planes coming 
and going. People were hurrying and scurrying here 
and there. The large floodlights were flashing on and 
off. 

Daddy did not let go of Yammy’s hand a minute, 
not until they were safely seated in the plane. 

Yammy’s eyes were big with wonder. There seemed 
to be a moment of complete stillness and then—a pow¬ 
erful roar. The propellers were buzzing. Then up, up, 
up, and then—just a soft, whirring sound. Up—up— 
Yammy didn’t say a word. 

Daddy put his arm around the back of Yammy’s 
chair, “Look down, Son.” The boy looked down. He 
was high in the sky above Chicago. The lights were 
slowly coming on, up and down the streets all over 
the city. The downtown section was bright with elec¬ 
tric signs. 


[ 76 ] 


The Plane Ride 


“It looks like the sky,” said Yammy. “Only I am 
looking down, instead of up. The lights are like stars 
and State Street is the Milky Way.” 

Even far out on black Lake Michigan the lights from 
the ships could be seen. 

Yammy sat watching until the brightness dimmed. 
The airplane went on faster and faster, and higher and 
higher, nearer to the heavens. 

Shortly after dark Yammy’s head dropped to Daddy’s 
shoulder. The stewardess made ready his bed and in no 
time he was sound asleep. 

In the morning he was sailing above Colorado. He 
could see miles of rich evergreen forests on the moun¬ 
tainous country. The rivers looked like threads wind¬ 
ing in and around the hills. 

They were high above the highest of the Rocky 
Mountains, Pike’s Peak. 

“It looks just like a big birthday cake covered with 
whipped cream frosting,” said Yammy. “And then a 
layer of brown frosting and then a layer of green frost¬ 
ing.” 

And it truly did, for the top was covered with deep 
snow. Farther down, it was too warm for snow, but too 
cold for anything to grow. There the earth was brown. 

C 77 3 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

Still farther down were the fir and pine trees, and below 
this line the oaks and elm trees and other green things 
were growing. 

They left beautiful Colorado behind and came to the 
dismal, clay soil of Utah and the sandy plains of Nevada. 

The airplane was rising higher and higher. They 
were flying over the Sierra Nevada Range. Yammy 
looked out and saw these mountains standing like tall, 
proud queens in white robes. 

Before they knew it they were circling above Los 
Angeles. Down, down—slower, slower—stop. There 
they were at the airport. It had been a wonderful ride. 

They drove directly to the hotel. Mother and the 
Grandmothers and Uncle Yammy and Powder were 
in the lounge waiting for them. 

“Hello. Hello, everybody,” shouted Daddy as he 
kissed Mother. 

“Hello, Uncle Yammy,” and Yammy was in his 
uncle’s arms. 

Powder gave little barks of laughter and ran around 
Yammy in circles. Yammy was just as glad to see Pow¬ 
der. Yammy jumped up and down and ran after Pow¬ 
der. They kept going faster and faster and made a 
terrible lot of noise. 


[ 78 ] 


The Plane Ride 


Mother called to him, “Yammy, come over here and 
stand still. You are disturbing everyone.” 

Yammy stood beside Uncle Yammy. Mother and 
the Grandmothers were telling Daddy of their plans. 

They were to stay at Malibu Beach for several weeks 
and then spend the rest of the time at Santa Catalina 
Island. 

“Catalina Island, did you say?” cried out Yammy. 
“The baseball players train there. Gee, Mother, you are 
scRUMdolious.” Powder began to bark again. 

Daddy said, “You are right about your mother, Yam¬ 
my. And you are right about the ball players. But they 
will not be training now.” 

“Well, I won’t care. Catalina Island is a grand 
place.” Yammy was so happy that he threw his hat up 
in the air. He was still so happy that he did it again 
and again. Each time he threw it a little bit higher. 

All of a sudden it did not come down. It was caught 
on a large drop of the sparkling, crystal chandelier. It 
landed with such force that the chandelier began to 
sway back and forth. Everyone in the lounge looked 
up. 

The chandelier kept swaying back and forth, back and 
forth. Some of the women in the lounge feared that 

179 } 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

it would drop and quickly rushed away, Mother and 
the Grandmothers among them. 

By this time the manager had called the Fire Depart¬ 
ment which had put up a tall ladder and recovered the 
hat. Soon the lounge was quiet again. “Now, whoever 
would do a thing like that?” asked Mother of her family. 

Yammy stood with his hands in his pockets. 

The elevator was waiting. Mother and Daddy and 
the Grandmothers and Uncle Yammy and Yammy and 
Powder went up to their rooms. 

As Yammy entered the door, Mother noticed he 
didn’t have any hat. 

“Yammy Clumshanks,” she said in a loud, surprised 
tone, “was that your hat?” 

All Yammy could say was, “Why—a, why—a—” 

“Never you mind any excuses. You go right down¬ 
stairs and get your hat.” 

And Yammy did. 

When he got back Mother made a little mark on the 
wall in the corner. Yammy stood for one whole hour 
with his nose against it. Powder took up his usual place 
and hung his head low and dropped his tail between 
his legs. 



Chapter IX 

A TRIP TO MEXICO 



other and Daddy and the 
Grandmothers and Uncle Yammy and Powder found a 
tiny house that looked out to the ocean. It was rather 
crowded but there were so many things to do they did 
not stay in the house very much. 

They took long automobile rides up and down the 
Pacific Coast. 

Often they stopped at Rodondo Beach, one of the larg¬ 
est fishing piers along the Pacific Coast. Sometimes they 
just strolled around the pier watching the countless fish¬ 
ermen. Sometimes they looked into the fishing booths, 
where all kinds of fish were for sale—lobsters and crab 
and catfish and sunfish and whale meat and salmon and 
oysters and abalone and perch and sturgeon and shrimp. 

“I’d like to fish,” said Yammy. “I’d like to fish and 
sell the fish I caught. I haven’t made any money for a 
long time. My bank never will get full, if I don’t put 
any money in it.” 


C 81 ] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“Yammy, it would be hard to sell fish around here. 
Everyone fishes for himself or else he buys from the 
fishermen,” answered Mother. 

“Well, I could be a fisherman. I want to make some 
money.” 

“I have it,” said Uncle Yammy. He was interested in 
Yammy’s bank. He thought it was a splendid idea for 
Yammy to save his money and he wanted to help him. 

Uncle Yammy spoke to Mother, “You buy fish every 
so often for our dinner. If Yammy and I catch the fish 
won’t you buy them from us instead of the fisherman?” 

“Uncle Yammy, that’s a grand idea,” shouted Yam¬ 
my. “And then I’ll make some money.” 

Mother smiled, “I don’t see why I can’t buy them 
from you.” 

“I think I’ll join the fishermen, too,” said Daddy. 

And from then on there were long, lazy days of sitting 
alongside the old fishermen. 

And Yammy dropped quarters in an empty match 
box, for he had left his baking powder bank at home. 

“We’ll have to take a trip to Mexico while we are 
out west,” suggested Grandmother, the one who couldn’t 
hear very well. 

“That’s what I have been thinking,” answered Daddy. 

[82] 



He brushed his hair flat with water 




























A Trip to Mexico 

“Oh no, Daddy, I would rather stay here and fish,” 
said Yammy. 

“But it will only take a day or two,” spoke Mother. 

And a week later on a Wednesday morning they all 
got up extra early. They were going to drive to Tia 
Juana, a little village just across the border in Mexico. 

Uncle Yammy could not go because he had some very 
important things to do. 

Yammy dressed in his white linen suit, white polo 
shirt and white oxfords. He brushed his hair flat with 
water. He looked slick and fresh and clean. 

Grandmother, the one who couldn’t hear very well, 
said, “Boy, you are a fine, healthy, strong lad, and nice- 
looking, too, especially with that coat of tan.” 

Yammy grinned all over and kissed Grandmother on 
the nose. 

He climbed in the front seat of the car with Daddy 
and Powder. He could see much better in front. 

The air was clear and warm. It was an ideal day for 
seeing things: the calm ocean on one side, all shades 
of blue—blackish blue, greenish blue, turquoise blue 
and pale, pale blue. And on the other side were the 
mountains—deep, deep purple mountains. 

Yammy had seen brown mountains and black moun- 

£85] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

tains and white mountains covered with snow, and green 
mountains covered with forests. But he had never seen 
deep, deep purple mountains before. 

The farther south they drove the brighter everything 
became. Yammy wore his sun glasses. 

The Mexican Government Inspectors were standing 
at the borderline. Daddy stopped. The Inspectors were 
polite and very friendly. 

The Chief Inspector said, “Be sure to be back by six 
o’clock or you will have to stay overnight.” 

“Thank you,” answered Daddy. “We’re just here for 
the day.” 

The village of Tia Juana was exactly like the villages 
in the stories of Old Mexico. Donkey with carts and 
dogs tramped along the dusty, unpaved streets. Men 
and women and children in bright clothes squatted 
along the roadside. They molded little people and ani¬ 
mals from the roadside clay. 

Pepper trees grew everywhere and children were 
everywhere too. They begged, “Pennies, please, pen¬ 
nies. Please, Mister, give us a penny.” Yammy liked 
these children—smiling and brown, without shoes and 
stockings on their feet. Daddy threw pennies in the 
dusty street. 


A Trip to Mexico 

The houses and shops were small and dingy-looking. 
The Grandmothers wanted to visit the shops, but Daddy, 
who was always hungry said, “I came down here to 
eat and I’m hungry.” 

“Poor man,” said Grandmother, the one who could 
hear, “I guess we’ll have to humor him and eat first.” 

And so they did. 

After dinner Mother and the Grandmothers rambled 
through the shops. Yammy and Powder stayed with 
Daddy. They walked leisurely to the other side of the 
street. “I want to get some Mexican jumping beans,” 
said Yammy. 

Daddy replied, “Let’s sit here on the patio a while 
and get some later. I feel lazy, I ate too much.” 

Daddy stretched himself out on a comfortable chair 
and in less than ten minutes he forgot all about Yammy 
and Powder. 

And Yammy, after watching the children for about 
ten minutes, forgot all about Daddy. 

Yammy followed the children down a narrow lane. 
At first they didn’t seem to like him. 

He pulled his fresh, white polo shirt over his head. 
Yammy offered it to a smiling, brown boy. The children 
drew closer to him. 


[87 3 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

Next came his white oxfords. He offered them to an¬ 
other boy. Then his socks to another. 

He put his hands in his pockets. The children crowd¬ 
ed around him. They said, “More, more?” 

Yammy emptied his pockets—string, buttons, two 
marbles, a toy watch, a blue crumpled envelope, and a 
dirty handkerchief. The boys took all. 

Now they let him trudge along. 

He followed them up a side street, through the ditches 
and back of the shops. By this time, he was as dirty and 
brown as the Mexican children. 

They went up and down the streets crying, “Pennies, 
please; pennies.” When they came to the busiest corner 
they sang and danced. 

A few people gathered around and clapped and threw 
pennies to them. More men and women came. Then 
more and more bunched together. The crowd became 
large and soon the entire street was filled. 

Yammy was having a grand time, singing and danc¬ 
ing and picking up the pennies. 

Meanwhile Mother and the Grandmothers had gone 
in and out of all the shops. Their arms were full of 
Mexican pottery and fine Mexican laces, even a som¬ 
brero for Yammy. 


A Trip to Mexico 

There seems to be some excitement over there,” said 
Grandmother, the one who couldn’t hear very well. And 
she pointed toward the crowd. 

“Let us go see what it is,” suggested the other Grand¬ 
mother. 

They crossed the street and edged themselves to the 
front. Of course, they did not recognize Yammy. He 
was frightfully dirty by now. 

“They are dear, bright, little fellows,” said Mother. 
“It is a shame they do not have better care.” 

“Watch that one doing the clogging,” said Grand¬ 
mother, the one who could hear. “He reminds me of 
Yammy with those great, big, brown eyes.” 

“Oh, Grandmother, how can you say such a thing?” 
asked Mother in a shocked tone. 

“I mean it,” insisted Grandmother. “Yammy does 
that little clogging step, just like that.” 

“I’m thankful to know Yammy has such good care,” 
answered Mother. 

Just then Powder came barking up to Yammy. He 
pulled at Yammy’s soiled trouser leg. 

“There’s Powder,” called Grandmother. “That is 
Yammy Clumshanks, as sure as I’m standing here with 
my arms full of bundles.” 

[ 89 ] 


Yatnmy Buys a Bicycle 

For a minute Mother was too completely surprised 
to do anything. Then her packages went sailing in all 
directions. She made a flying leap, caught Yammy by 
his torn trousers and dragged him down the street. 

“Yammy Clumshanks, how did you get with those 
dirty boys? Where in the world is Daddy?” scolded 
Mother. 

“Why, I just a—I just a—” was all Yammy could say. 

There was Daddy snoring loudly just where Yammy 
had left him. Mother shook him. He awakened with 
a start. 

“Daddy Clumshanks,” scolded Mother harshly. 
“Look at your son. Why didn’t you watch him?” 

The Grandmothers came hurrying down the street 
after they had picked up as many of the packages as 
they could. They all climbed in the automobile and 
started home. 

It was a very, very long tiresome journey home. 

Yammy whined and fretted, “I didn’t get my Mexican 
jumping beans, I didn’t, no I didn’t.” 

Yammy was very tired when they reached the tiny 
house. 

“Why did you do such a thing? You are such a 
thoughtless boy,” said Mother. 

[90} 


A Trip to Mexico 


“No, I’m not. I wanted to get some pennies for my 
bank.” And Yammy pulled out seven pennies from his 
soiled and torn trousers. 

But nevertheless, he stood for one whole hour with 
his face to the wall. Powder 
crawled over and lay down be¬ 
side him and in no time fell 
fast asleep. 



Chapter X 

SANTA CATALINA ISLAND 
AND HOME AGAIN 




ll the next week Yammy was 
a very quiet little boy. He spent most of the time fish¬ 
ing with Uncle Yammy. 

They had grown to be very good friends the last two 
months. They wanted to be together as much as pos¬ 
sible. Uncle Yammy was leaving for Hawaii the end 
of the week. 

“I wish you could go to Catalina Island with us,” 
said Yammy. 

“I do too, but I have lots and lots of business to do.” 

The week passed too quickly. Mother and the Grand¬ 
mothers and Yammy and Powder were all standing on 
the pier waiting to get on the boat for Santa Catalina 
Island. Uncle Yammy and Daddy came down to say 
good-bye. Uncle Yammy was sailing on another boat 
for Hawaii in the morning and Daddy was to be with 
them later. 

“Toot, toot, toot.” 


[90 


Santa Catalina Island and Home Again 

“There’s the whistle,” said Daddy. “You may get on 
the boat now.” 

It took a few minutes to say last good-byes. 

“Toot, toot, toot.” 

“There’s the second whistle,” called Daddy. “You’d 
better be hustling.” 

Yammy held tightly to Uncle Yammy’s hand. 

“Gee, I wish you could go with us.” 

Uncle Yammy squeezed his hand, “So do I, old pal.” 

Daddy said, “I’ll see you the end of the week.” 

They hurried to the boat. Yammy found the top deck 
and waved to Daddy and Uncle Yammy. 

“Have a grand time, Yammy, and watch for the 
whales,” called Uncle Yammy. 

“I will,” shouted Yammy. 

Uncle Yammy and Daddy stood on the pier waving 
their handkerchiefs. Yammy watched them until they 
were tiny specks. 

Yammy and Grandmother, the one who couldn’t hear 
very well, bought oyster crackers to feed the sea gulls. 
The birds were very tame. The large, white birds would 
swoop down and catch the crackers in their mouths. 

The sea was calm and the island could be seen in the 
distance. 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“That island looks hilly,” said Yammy. 

“Yes,” answered Mother. “It is one of a group of 
islands—the Santa Barbara Islands. They are really a 
group of mountains in the water. We just see the tops 
of the mountains peeking above the water.” 

“Look,” shouted Yammy, “over that way. It’s a whale, 
I know it is a whale.” 

“I do believe it is, but we’ll ask the steward to be sure,” 
said Mother. 

“Yes,” answered the steward. “It is a whale, we see 
them often. They follow the boats looking for food.” 
He gave Yammy his field glasses. 

Yammy saw the huge, black body tossing in and out 
of the water. “Whoopee,” he yelled. “Gee, he is a 
whale of a fish,” and Yammy laughed at his own joke. 

They were nearing Santa Catalina Island. They 
could see the stretch of white, sandy beach, with little 
hills behind it. 

“And there’s the beautiful hotel,” said one of the 
Grandmothers. 

Before they knew it, they were all in the elevator and 
then in their rooms. 

“I want to go in swimming the first thing,” said 
Yammy. 


[ 94 ] 


Santa Catalina Island and Home Again 

But the trunks had not yet arrived and Yammy could 
not go swimming. 

“But never you mind,” spoke Grandmother, the one 
who couldn’t hear very well. “Yammy, you and I will 
go in the glass bottom boat and see the tropical fish. 
I always did want to see them.” 

Mother decided to lie down a while. Grandmother, 
the one who could hear, thought she would write letters 
and then look in the shops. 

After lunch Yammy and his Grandmother boarded 
the glass bottom boat. They scrambled down the ladder 
to the bottom deck. They sat with their arms on the rail 
and looked down through the clear glass. The boat 
sailed out and into the undersea gardens. The water 
became deeper, but it was so clear they could see the 
very bottom of the ocean. 

The seaweed and seafern swayed back and forth as 
the fish swam in and out. There were starfish, so per¬ 
fect they did not look real. The abalone and jellyfish 
clung to the rocks. The goldfish darted everywhere like 
streaks of sunshine. It was an ocean fairy land. 

Yammy and Grandmother were not gone very long. 
They decided to go back to the hotel and write letters 
to the Grandfathers and to the Joneses. 

C9S] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“I haven’t written to George for a long time. I won¬ 
der how much he has saved this summer.” 

Yammy and Grandmother sauntered into their rooms, 
all tired out. Yammy slouched in a chair and stretched 
out his legs. “If only I could go swimming,” he yawned. 

“You can,” brightly said Grandmother, the one who 
could hear. “I surprised you and bought a new bath¬ 
ing suit. I saw it in the shops.” 

“Whoops, Grandmother, thanks,” shouted Yammy, 
as he kissed her on the nose. He hurriedly tore open the 
package. 

But when he held it up, his face twisted into a terrible 
scowl. The bathing suit was black, with huge green 
and white flowers scattered all over. 

“But—but it looks like a girl’s,” Yammy said, chok¬ 
ing back tears. 

Grandmother, the one who could hear, always adored 
anything with ruffles and lace and frills and flowers. 

“It isn’t a girl’s bathing suit. It is the newest kind— 
a new Bali Print,” explained Grandmother. 

She felt badly that Yammy did not like it. 

“Everyone is wearing them,” she continued. 

“But Grandmother,” stammered Yammy, “this isn’t 
Bali.” 


Santa Catalina Island and Home Again 

Mother persuaded him to try it on. She did not want 
to hurt Grandmother’s feelings. 

Mother said, “I know you will like it better after you 
have tried it on.” 

Yammy slipped into the new Bali Print. Mother and 
Grandmother, the one who couldn’t hear very well, 
could hardly keep from laughing. But Grandmother, 
the one who could hear, was really very serious about 
it. 

She said, “I think you look big and strong, just like 
that movie star who plays in those south sea island pic¬ 
tures.” 

“That’s right,” remembered Yammy. 

He ran down to the crowded beach. A few girls were 
playing beach ball. When they saw Yammy one of 
them called, “Here comes a new girl. Maybe she will 
play with us.” 

Yammy’s face turned red with anger. As he ran past 
them, one of the larger children cried out, “What is 
your name, little girl?” 

He yelled back, “Pm not a girl,” and plunged into 
the water. 

“What an impudent little girl,” remarked a fat woman 
sitting on the sand sunning herself. 

[ 97 } 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

Yammy stayed under the water as much as he could. 
He was so ashamed and angry that he wanted to get 
away from everybody. He crawled under the pier. He 
tried to sneak out of the water without any one seeing 
him. Even then he heard someone say, “I think that 
new girl is bashful.” 

He crossed the sands, ran down the sidewalk, toward 
a hill. He came to many small tourist cottages. He 
dragged along behind these little houses. He wanted 
to be alone. 

He could see into the cottages. No one seemed to 
be in any of them. “Guess they are all down at the beach, 
having a good time,” mumbled Yammy to himself. 

He hardly ever cried, but now big tears kept welling 
up in his eyes. He wiped them away with the back of 
his hand. The tears kept coming steadily. He could 
hardly see. He stumbled over a big stone and fell 
against a fence. As he caught himself, his hand clutched 
at something soft. He blinked. He was holding a dark 
blue bathing suit which had been thrown over the fence. 

His face lighted up and quick as a flash, he pulled 
the suit over his own and ran back to the beach. 

He splashed and rolled with the waves. He did the 
Australian crawl out to the buoy. He leisurely side- 
[98] 


Santa Catalina Island and Home Again 

stroked back and stretched himself full length on the 
sand. He looked into the clear, blue sky. 

The world was a wonderful place. 

“Oh, look. There’s that new little girl, dressed as a 
boy now. He is a queer little girl, isn’t he?” said a 
teasing voice. 

Yammy lifted his head and saw the girls circling 
him. 

“Go away from here,” he cried, “I’m no girl.” 

The girls sang back, “Now we know better than that. 
You can’t fool us. Come on, little girl, and let’s play 
ball.” 

This time Yammy sat up and shouted at them. “You 
let me alone. I am a boy and I don’t want to be bothered 
with any girls.” 

Just then a little boy came running toward the girls. 
He was crying loudly, “Sister, sister. My new bathing 
suit is gone. Somebody took my new bathing suit, the 
one with the Pop-Eye buckle.” 

Yammy quickly glanced at the belt buckle on his 
suit. Yes, there was a picture of Pop-Eye taking a 
mouthful of spinach. 

The little boy stopped short when he saw Yammy. 
Then he let out a yell. “Yowee! There it is. That boy 

[99] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

has it. He took my new bathing suit with the Pop-Eye 
buckle.” And he cried louder than before. 

Mother, who had just come from the hotel, heard the 
little boy crying. She hurried to see if she could help 
him. 

And she did help him. She peeled the suit from Yam¬ 
my and handed it to the little boy. Then she marched 
Yammy directly to the hotel. 

All the way he grumbled, “Things just happen, that’s 
all. They just happen. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t 
want his suit, not for keeps. It was too little anyway. 
Things just happen.” 

But that night although it was his first night at Cata¬ 
lina Island, Yammy stood for one whole hour with his 
face to the wall. And Powder took his place next to him. 

The rest of the month Yammy had a good swim every 
day in his old bathing suit. 

Daddy was with them over the weekends. There were 
picnics on the sands and long hikes over the hills. There 
were drives around the Island in the sightseeing cars. 
Occasionally they saw a herd of buffalo roaming 
through the grassy valley. 

And one day Yammy saw the Baseball Players’ Train- 
t ioo ] 

H f 



Then she marched Yammy directly to the hotel 



















Santa Catalina Island and Home Again 

ing Camp. Palm trees lined the lane leading to the 
field. Tall, red poinsettia flowers, high enough for a 
hedge, surrounded it. Yammy wished the baseball play¬ 
ers were there now. 

They visited the shops and bought gifts for the Grand¬ 
fathers and gifts for all the Joneses. 

They did not like to leave Catalina Island and beau¬ 
tiful California. But when it was time to go and they 
were on the train they all felt very glad to be going 
home again. 

“I was beginning to get lonesome without Grandpa,” 
said Grandmother, the one who could hear. 

“I have been lonesome too. After all, there is no place 
like home,” answered Grandmother, the one who 
couldn’t hear very well. 

Three days is a long time on the train. Yammy 
thought he would never, never, never get to Chicago. 
Daddy and Yammy would walk to the end of the train, 
then they would turn around and walk all the way to 
the other end. Then they would play checkers a while, 
and then parchesi a while. Then they would eat a little 
something. And then they would do the same things 
all over again. 

But after three long days the train slowly pulled in 
[103] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

the handsome station. Yammy was the first to jump off. 

“Hello, Grandpas. Hello, hello.” 

“Hello, hello.” 

Everyone was talking at once. They kissed each 
other all around and asked all about Uncle Yammy. 
Daddy gathered up all the luggage and piled it into 
the big car, and soon they were home again. 

The yard looked clean. Grandpa told them George 
was a fine yard worker. 

Linda was smiling broadly when Yammy burst in. 
“Hello, my honey chile, I’se got your card ’way down 
in Alabam. You sho’ had a good vacation, din you?” 

“Oh, it was scRUMdolious. I went fishing and sold 
fish. And I saved $5.00 this summer.” 

“You sho saved mo’ than I did.” 

“I kept my money in a empty match box, because I 
forgot my baking powder bank.” 

“Hello, Mis Clumshanks, I’se knowed everybody 
would come, so I’se got lunch for dem all.” 

“That was just fine, Linda. Did you have a nice vaca¬ 
tion?” 

“I’se was glad to see my kinfolk, but I’se got to work 
too hard ’way down in Alabam. I likes to work here 
better.” 


i r °4] 


Santa Catalina Island and Home Again 

“I’m glad you like it with us, Linda.” 

“Yammy, Yammy,” called Grandfather. “Come and 
tell me all about your trip. Come over here and sit on 
Grandpa’s knee.” 

Now Yammy loved Grandpa very much, but he did 
think he was too big to sit on Grandpa’s knee. And 
then, too, it was very uncomfortable to sit on Grandpa’s 
knee, for his big, fat stomach always got in the way. 

“I’ll sit here, Grandpa,” said Yammy pulling the 
piano bench closer. 

Grandpa laughed until his round stomach shook. 
“Such a big man, too big to sit on Grandpa’s knee.” 

Yammy always turned reddish pink when Grandpa 
talked like that. Now he dug his heels into the scatter 
rug in front of the piano. 

“Yammy, what is the matter with you? You look dif¬ 
ferent,” asked the skinny Grandpa. 

“I’m all right. There’s nothing wrong with me.” 

He worked his heel back and forth, thinking to him¬ 
self, “I wish they would stop talking about me. That’s 
the way they do all the time. I wish they would leave 
me alone.” 

And all during lunch Grandpa watched Yammy very 
closely. 


[io s3 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“Your face looks different,” Grandpa went on. “Don’t 
you feel well, Yammy?” 

“I feel all right Please leave me alone.” 

After lunch Grandpa still kept looking at Yammy. 
“There is something different about your face. Don’t 
you think Yammy has changed?” he asked Grand¬ 
mother. 

“Well,” said Grandmother. “He is three months 
older and he did gain some weight.” 

Yammy squirmed and sputtered and kicked at the 
rug. Then he ran to his room. 

Mother spoke, “It is just because you haven’t seen 
him for a long time.” 

“No, that’s not it,” said the thin Grandfather. 

Just then the fat Grandfather glanced at the profile 
picture of Yammy taken six months ago. 

“I got it, I got it,” he cried. “Yammy, come down 
here.” 

Yammy slouched down the stairs. 

“Now stand this way,” ordered the fat Grandfather. 
“Now, Mother, look here. It is his nose. See how flat 
it is.” 

Sure enough, Yammy’s nose did look a little flat on 
the end. 


[ 106 } 


Santa Catalina Island and Home Again 

Mother took the picture and held it alongside of 
Yammy’s face. The wrinkles came into her forehead. 
“Whatever caused it?” 

Daddy was sitting in his easy chair, laughing hard. 
“You had better be a good boy from now on or else 
your nose will wear away completely,” joked Daddy. 
“You know you had to stand in corners quite a bit 
during our vacation.” 

Yammy jerked away, “Oh, now quit it. I’m all right.” 

He ran upstairs and closed his door with a bang. He 
examined his nose in the mirror. It did seem a little 
flat, but just then Yammy wanted to unpack and get 
started at his rock collection. 

He had some beautiful specimens to add to his col¬ 
lection. 

Mother was terribly upset. “What if I have ruined 
his profile,” she said. 

“Oh, it is nothing serious,” assured Grandfather. 

“Why don’t you punish him some other way,” sug¬ 
gested Daddy. “Put a clothespin on his nose. That will 
pinch it back into place again.” 

“Mr. Clumshanks, don’t tease. This is no laughing 
matter. My poor little boy might be disfigured for life,” 
answered Mother. 


[ 107] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“Now, Mother, don’t worry about it. But hereafter 
don’t let him stand with his nose to the wall. Just let him 
stand in the corner,” said Daddy. 

“Oh, I have been too severe with him. I punished him 
so many times this summer. I will never do it again, 
no never.” 

Mother sat in her favorite rocking chair, rocking 



C 108 } 









Chapter XI 

THE ROCK COLLECTION 


y 


ammy was sitting on the floor 
and sorting his rocks according to the Rock and Stone 
Book Uncle Yammy had bought him. Powder hovered 
near sniffing as Yammy worked. 

It took a long time for Yammy to number the rocks 
and to label them. They were spread out on the floor in 
perfect order. He looked proudly at his finished work. 
He wiped the perspiration from his face. He looked at 
the rocks again. They were all ready to place on the 
shelf. The perspiration rolled down his neck. 

“I wish I could take a swim in the ocean right this 
minute.” 

With that he kicked off one black and white oxford 
and then the other. Then his socks came off. He rolled 
over onto his stomach and rested his head on his hands. 
“Think I’ll take an icy cold bath and fill the tub right 
to the top.” 


[ 109] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

He stepped to the bathroom and turned on the cold 
water. He peeled the rest of his clothes from him. He 
slid into the tub. He squealed and squirmed as the cold 
water splashed against his body. He kicked vigorously 
and snorted and ducked his head up and down in the 
tub. 

Then he heard Powder barking. He heard Powder’s 
body thump against the wall. He listened closely. 

“Powder, what are you doing?” called Yammy be¬ 
tween splashes. 

He heard the swish of torn paper and the bump, bump 
of rocks. 

Immediately Yammy jumped from the tub. Drip¬ 
ping, he ran to his room. 

His assorted rocks were strewn every place. Labels 
were torn to little bits of pieces. The book itself was 
dragged under the bed. Powder was just about to take 
a bite of it. Yammy crawled under and yanked the book 
from Powder’s mouth. He chased Powder downstairs 
and shut the door. 

All his hard work was destroyed. 

Yammy then set about his work again. He picked 
up the bits and tried to piece them together. The rocks 
had to be named and labeled and put in their proper 

[ no} 


The Rock Collection 

places again. He was determined to do all that Powder 
had undone. 

Daddy and the Grandmothers and the Grandfathers 
were strolling around the yard looking at the zinnia 
beds and the work George had done. 

Mother wanted to be by herself. 

She sat in the house, rocking and worrying. She 
thought aloud, “No, I will never punish him again, 
never in all my life, my poor, poor—” 

In the middle of her thoughts Linda came rushing in 
from the kitchen. She was all excited, “ ’Scuse me, Mis’ 
Clumshanks, but de water is leakin’ down from some- 
wheres.” 

“What do you mean, Linda?” asked Mother. 

“I tells you all water is leakin’. I sees it while I does 
de dishes.” 

Mrs. Clumshanks went to the kitchen. There it was 
above the sink, on the ceiling. A large, round, darkish, 
wet spot. Drip—drip—drip. 

“I wonder what it can be? Call Mr. Clumshanks, 
Linda. I will hurry upstairs,” said Mrs. Clumshanks. 

She did not need to go all the way upstairs for the 
water was trickling down the steps. The hall floor was 
covered. The bathroom was flooded and Yammy’s 

[in] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

clothes and towels were floating about. The tub was 
like an ocean. 

“Yammy. Yammy Clumshanks,” called Mother. 

Yammy knew by Mother’s tone of voice he had to 
hurry. He grabbed his robe. 

“What is it, Mother?” 

When he opened the door, he saw. Yammy fidgeted 
at the cord on his robe. He rubbed his bare feet against 
each other. His voice was choked, “I just—a, I 
just—a—” 

But Mother sat on Yammy’s bed and cried and cried, 
“Oh, Yammy, why are you so thoughtless?” 

Yammy sat next to Mother and laid his head in her 
lap. He didn’t mean to do it. Mother still cried and 
stroked his stubbly hair. 

“Why can’t you think about what you are doing? 
I’m so glad school is starting next week.” 

Suddenly Mother straightened, “But you will have 
to be punished. I began to feel I had punished you too 
much this summer, but I can’t let a thing like this go. 
Now, hurry and get dressed while I think. I’m going 
to the kitchen.” 

Yammy just could not hurry as he dressed. He mum¬ 
bled and grumbled, “Things just go wrong for me.” 

[XX2] 


The Rock Collection 

Powder peeked in the door. 

“It’s all your fault. Powder, why didn’t you let my 
rocks alone?” 

Powder turned and ran downstairs. 

Yammy came down slowly. He went into the kitchen. 
“What are you going to make me do, Mother?” He 
asked the question timidly. 

Mother answered him, “I thought it over. You’d bet¬ 
ter do as Daddy suggested. You are to stand with your 
face turned toward the wall but do not press your nose 
against the wall.” 

Yammy took his usual place. Mother stood thinking. 
Then she spoke, “No, Yammy, that will never do, it 
might ruin your eyesight. Staring at that blank wall 
isn’t good.” 

Yammy turned around. Mother stood thinking again. 
“Let’s see. Now stand here in this corner with your 
back to the wall.” 

So he stood with his back to the wall. 

Mother left the kitchen. 

In a minute she was back again. “Yammy, I am still 
worried. That won’t do either. Maybe it will hurt your 
posture. I can see you slumping already.” 

Mother stood thinking again. She pulled the kitchen 

C«3} 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

stool to the corner. “Here, Yammy,” she said. “Sit on 
this, I think that will be all right.” 

Yammy sat on the kitchen stool after that. Mother 
went to her rocking chair and worried and thought and 
worried and thought. 

Powder sneaked in. Yammy didn’t say anything. 
Powder looked up slyly and crept over to him and sat 
down quietly. Yammy still didn’t say anything. Pow¬ 
der hung his head and let his tail drop between his 
legs. Then he gave a low, sad little bark. Yammy looked 
down, “Oh come, Powder, I’m not mad any more.” 

Powder leaped to Yammy’s lap and there they sat 
for one whole hour by the clock. 



[114] 




Chapter XII 
THE LOST BANK 




' s Yammy sat in the corner hold¬ 
ing Powder, he suddenly missed Hooky. “I hope we 
can go to the Joneses next week,” he said aloud. 

“You all better not say anything,” snapped Linda, 
as she carried the dishes to the dining room table. 

“I bet George saved a lot of money this summer. Gee, 
I can’t wait to see him.” 

“Dinner is ready, Mis Clumshanks,” Linda an¬ 
nounced. 

Yammy jumped from his stool, “I’ll call Daddy and 
the Grandmothers and the Grandfathers.” 

Yammy ran to the garden and in a few minutes they 


were all seated at the table. 

“Mother, I want to get Hooky next week. Can’t we 
visit the Joneses some day?” 

“Yes, I think we could plan to go Wednesday. We’ll 
take their gifts to them.” 


t»5] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“I wonder how much George has in his bank now. 
I bet he has a lot.” 

“I know he made quite a bit, for he had steady work 
with three yards to clean every week,” said the thin 
Grandfather. 

“How much do you have?” asked the fat Grand¬ 
father. 

Yammy was proud to say he saved $5.00 this sum¬ 
mer. It was in the match box bank in the trunk. 

“I’m going to put my $5.00 with the other money in 
my baking powder bank. Gee, won’t that be a lot? I’ll 
have $15.75. Whoopee!” 

“Son, I think you have done welL You certainly have 
surprised us all. And when you have enough for a bicy¬ 
cle, you will have deserved it.” And Daddy’s voice was 
full of pride. 

As soon as dinner was finished Mother unlocked the 
trunk and gave Yammy his match box bank. 

He skipped up the stairs to his room. He drew a 
chair to his closet and reached far back in the corner 
of the top shelf. 

But there was no bank there. He hurriedly pushed 
aside the boxes and extra blanket. But still, no baking 
powder bank could he find. 

[ ix6] 


The Lost Bank 


Yammy had a lumpy feeling inside. 

The bank should be there. He knew it should be 
there. It was always there. But now— 

He drew the chair closer and searched carefully. 
Maybe it dropped. He scrambled to the floor and 
brushed aside his shoes and other boxes. Big, round 
tears streamed down his face. He went down the stairs 
sobbing loudly. 

“Mother, Mother, my bank is gone. My bank is 
gone.” 

“Your bank?” questioned Mother. “Oh come now, 
Yammy, no doubt it is on another shelf.” 

Mother helped him look. She cleared everything from 
the top shelf. Then she cleared everything from the 
next shelf and then the next, and the next. 

Daddy came into the room. 

“Are you sure you didn’t take it with you?” he asked. 

“I know I didn’t Daddy. I remember. I counted my 
money before we left. And I know I didn’t take it.” 

“I know he didn’t take it, too,” answered Mother. 
“Besides, we would have noticed it some time during 
our vacation.” 

“How much did you have?” asked Daddy. 

“I had $10.75.” 


[n7] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“Well, it must be here some place. No one was here 
all summer. The house was locked.” 

“Burglars!” said Yammy. “Burglars took my money. 
I know it was burglars.” 

“Burglars!” exclaimed Grandmother, the one who 
couldn’t hear very well. “Did I hear Yammy say burg¬ 
lars?” 

Grandmother was up the stairs. 

“Burglars took my money; burglars took my money.” 
By now tears were dropping to his shirt. 

“Hush, Yammy. Be quiet. Now don’t get so excited.” 
Mother tried to calm him and wiped his face with her 
lacy handkerchief. 

“No, no, Son,” assured Daddy. “Burglars did not 
take your money. They would have taken other things 
too. Nothing else has been touched. You misplaced 
your bank and we just have to look for it.” 

Daddy helped Yammy look carefully through every¬ 
thing in his room. They looked in every corner, every 
drawer, and all through his toy box. 

Mother looked in the other rooms upstairs. 

The Grandmothers looked downstairs. 

The Grandfathers looked in the basement. 

And Linda looked in the kitchen. 


[n8] 


The Lost Bank 


Together they searched and searched, but they could 
not find the baking powder bank. 

That night Yammy cried himself to sleep. 

Daddy came and sat on his bed. “My poor little 



[119] 



Chapter XIII 
JOLLY’S HOOKY 


& 


>ut the next day they did not 
find the bank, nor the next day, nor the next. 

Yanuny was a sad boy. Every morning and every 
afternoon he looked for his bank. 

Linda had cut a slit in another baking powder can. 

Slowly Yammy dropped his quarters in the new bank. 
He put the new bank in the same place he had kept the 
old one. 

On Wednesday, Mother and Yammy drove out to the 
Joneses. 

Buddy opened the door. “Well, hello. When did you 
get back?” 

Jolly dropped Hooky and stretched out her arms, 
“Yummy, Yummy, Jolly’s Yummy is come back.” 

Hooky ran under the sink and peeked out from be¬ 
hind the waste paper basket. 

Mrs. Jones was so glad to see them. “I know you had 
a wonderful trip. We thought of you often.” 


[ 120 ] 


Jolly's Hooky 

“And we thought of you, Mrs. Jones.” 

Mother unpacked the gifts for all of the children. 
There were books for Buddy and Bobby. A lace collar 
from Mexico for Lucy. An Indian blanket from the 
Grand Canyon for George. And a large Jumping Jack 
for Jolly. 

When Jolly opened her present she screamed with 
delight. But she would not call it Jumping Jack. 

“Jumping Yummy, Jumping Yummy.” She sang it 
again and again. 

George and Yammy sat in the workroom. Yammy 
told George all about his missing bank. 

George felt very badly. He scratched his head. 

“If you are sure you didn’t take it, it must be some 
place in your house,” assured George. 

“But we looked all over. Linda cleaned the house 
thoroughly this week and she couldn’t find it.” 

“I feel sure you will come across it some time.” 

“I hope so. George, how much did you save this 
summer?” asked Yammy. 

George took his bank from the closet. He emptied 
the money on his new pink and yellow quilt. They 
counted the money together. George really knew with¬ 
out doing this, but he did love to count his money. 

[ 1 21} 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

There were $17.00 in quarters, nickels and dimes. 
George let the money slide through his fingers. “Some 
of it I had in my bank before you went away. Gee, I 
saved a lot this summer—a little over $5.00.” 

Yammy was puzzled. “Why, George, you surely 
made more than $5.00 this summer. Why, I have $5.00 
and I didn’t have a chance to clean yards.” 

George shook his head. “Yammy Clumshanks, of 
course I made more. But I don’t keep all the money I 
make. The money I earn is for Mother to spend for all 
of us. I save just a little bit of it.” 

Yammy felt ashamed. “Gee, George, I forgot. I’m 
sorry.” 

George laughed, “Oh, that’s all right. I think I did 
pretty well. Over $5.00. I know I’ll have enough for 
my bicycle by Christmas.” 

“I thought I would get mine for Christmas too.” 

George answered quickly. “I’ll let you ride mine, 
Yammy. Any time you want to, you may ride mine. 
Besides by Christmas you’ll have enough. You know 
your Grandmothers and Grandfathers will help you.” 

It was time for Mother and Yammy to go. 

“Where’s Hooky?” asked Yammy. “We came to 
take Hooky home again.” 

{122] 


Jolly’s Hooky 

“My Hooky, Jolly’s Hooky,” and Jolly reached under 
the sink and pulled Hooky out by the ear. 

Hooky didn’t seem to mind. No doubt she had grown 
used to Jolly’s rough handling. 

“How big she is,” said Mother. “You certainly took 
good care of her.” 

“Well, Hooky is like Jolly. She is always hungry,” 
answered Mrs. Jones smiling. 

Jolly’s little fat hands were squeezing Hooky’s body 
as she cried, “Jolly’s Hooky. Jolly’s Hooky.” 

“No, Jolly. She is Yammy’s Hooky,” and Yammy 
tried to take Hooky. 

The child screamed and hugged the kitten close. 

“No, no, Jolly’s Hooky.” She ran to the work room. 

Yammy ran after her, “But, Hooky is my kitten,” 
argued Yammy. 

“Yes,” said Mrs. Jones. “Yammy was kind to let you 
have Hooky all summer.” Mrs. Jones loosened the kit¬ 
ten from Jolly’s tight hold and gave her to Yammy. 

“My Hooky,” cried Jolly. “My Hooky.” 

Jolly’s little body was shaking all over as the tears 
streamed down her face. 

“Come, Jolly,” said Mrs. Jones. “Here is your Jump¬ 
ing Yummy.” 


C123 3 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“No, no,” cried Jolly. And she sobbed loudly. 

Yammy petted the little kitten. He held her to his 
cheek and rubbed the fur against his face. He looked at 
Jolly. Then Yammy went over to Jolly, stooped down 
and put his arms around her. 

“Close your eyes, Jolly,” he whispered. 

Jolly screwed up her face and closed her eyes tightly. 

Yammy placed Hooky in her arms, “Jolly’s Hooky,” 
said Yammy. 

Then Jolly’s face was like sunshine again. 

Mother and Yammy said good-bye to all. As they 
drove homeward Mother said, “Yammy, I was so proud 
of you. We’ll see that you get another kitten very soon.” 

Yammy smiled, “Thanks, Mother. I just couldn’t 
take Hooky from little Jolly.” 



[ 124] 




Chapter XIV 
A FISHING TRIP 


V. 


hat evening Mother told Dad¬ 
dy all about their visit to the Joneses and all about how 
Yammy gave Hooky to Jolly. 

And Daddy was very, very proud of Yammy. 

He leaned back in his chair and said, “Yammy, you 
have been such a hard worker and saved your money 
and you have been such a brave boy about losing your 
bank; and now you have been such a kind boy to give 
your kitten to Jolly that I’m going to do something 
nice for you.” 

“What, Daddy?” asked Yammy. 

“How would you like to go on a fishing trip with 
me next month?” 

“Oh, Daddy, that will be swell. Where will we go?” 

“I have a friend in Northern Wisconsin.” 

“Daddy, you never told me before. Who is he? Do 
I know him?” 


C 125] 


Yatnmy Buys a Bicycle 

“I don’t think you have ever met him, but I think you 
know him. Anyway you know a whole lot about him.” 

This puzzled Yammy. He had never met him, but 
Daddy said he knew a lot about him. 

“We will plan on leaving about the second weekend 
in October. We could leave Friday at noon and get 
back Sunday evening.” 

“But Daddy, I can’t leave at noon. I would miss 
school.” 

Yammy wanted to have a good record in attendance 
during the coming year. And he did not want to miss 
school unless he had to. 

“Well then, suppose you leave at 2:30. Then you may 
be excused and you will not be marked absent.” 

“Yes, let’s do that.” 

“Are you all ready to begin school this year? Don’t 
you need money for pencils and tablets?” 

“Well,” said Yammy, “I have my $5.00. I wasn’t 
going to get anything until the teacher told us to.” 

“Ha, ha,” laughed Daddy. “That’s the way you do 
when you spend your own money. Other years you were 
asking for school change two weeks before school 
started.” 

Yammy laughed too. “I’m getting older.” 

[126] 


A Fishing Trip 

“Older, yes sir, you are. Here, old man.” Daddy 
pulled a dollar bill from his pocket. “Maybe you can 
use this and if you don’t need it all slip the rest in your 
bank.” 

“Gee! Thanks, Daddy,” said Yammy, as he smoothed 
the dollar bill across his trouser leg. 

Tuesday morning Yammy was back in school again. 
It was grand to see all the boys and to tell them about 
his vacation. It was grand to listen to what they had 
done all during the summer. 

There were busy days in September. With school and 
Sunday School and the Cub Scouts and helping Grand¬ 
mothers on Saturdays and helping at home after school, 
the days flew by. 

The baking powder bank was beginning to fill up 
again. Yammy was anxious to let George know and 
to see all the Joneses. But his Saturdays were so busy 
he did not get around to visiting them. 

Before he even thought about it Daddy said one day, 
“Son, will you be ready to go next Friday?” 

“Whoopee!” answered Yammy. “I certainly will. 
Gee, I’ll be glad to go fishing in the woods.” 

The next Friday Daddy called for Yammy at school. 
They stopped at home just a minute to say good-bye to 

l>7l 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

Mother and the four Grandmothers and Grandfathers. 

Then they were on their way. They drove through 
the level land of northern Illinois. Lake Zurich, Lake 
Marie, Lake Catherine, Petite Lake—they passed them 
all. 

The lakes were many and very close together. Some¬ 
times they were little shallow green ponds, only a water¬ 
ing place for the cattle. Sometimes the water was a 
deep blue and Yammy knew it was deep. Sometimes the 
lakes flowed into each other through small channels. 

“Why are there so many lakes around here?” asked 
Yammy. 

Daddy explained to him, “It is because of the Great 
Glacier. The great pressure of the slowly moving, melt¬ 
ing ice ground deep holes into the soil and pushed along 
huge hills of earth, just as easily as you shovel snow 
from our sidewalk.” 

They crossed the Fox River, where Joliet and Mar¬ 
quette had journeyed through the wilds of Wisconsin. 
Now the rolling, green hills were dotted with black 
and white cows. 

Occasionally they could see the shores of Lake Mich¬ 
igan. They drove through the towns. Most of them had 
Indian names: Kenosha, Sheboygan, and Manitowoc. 

[128] 


A Fishing Trip 

They stopped at a beautiful place along the road for 
their dinner. It was called the Wayside Inn. Yammy 
ate to the bursting point and so did Daddy. 

Twilight had fallen when they drove through the 
thickly wooded acres of Northern Wisconsin. The road 
was winding. At every turn there was a riot of color 
—red oaks, golden maples, silvery ash, brown chestnut 
and walnut trees, deep evergreens and yellow hickory 
trees. As night came on the colors were softened and 
toned by a haziness. By eight o’clock all was blended 
into a solid mass of misty blue, relieved only by the silver 
moon rising over the hills. 

“Here is the place,” said Daddy abruptly. 

At once they were before a large log cabin, larger 
than Yammy had ever seen before. 

“Hello, Bob,” called Mr. Carl to Mr. Clumshanks. 
“Well, well—who is this? Oh, I know. It is your 
Yammy.” 

Mr. Carl shook Yammy’s hand and led him toward 
the door. An old, fat Indian was standing in the door¬ 
way. Behind him was a small, black-haired boy with a 
blanket around him. 

Mr. Carl turned to Yammy. He said, “This is Muddy 
Water and this little fellow is Laughing Heart.” 

[ 129] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

Muddy Water bowed and smiled and Laughing 
Heart grinned all over. Yammy just stood with his eyes 
open. He was too surprised to have any manners at all. 

Mr. Clumshanks took Yammy’s hand as they entered 
the cabin. “This is a real surprise for you, Yammy.” 

Yammy just said, “Oh.” 

Daddy went on, “This is the Mr. Carl that we read 
so much about. You know, he collects Indian relics 
and writes books about the Indians. Muddy Water is 
his guide. He has helped Mr. Carl for many years. 
Laughing Heart is Muddy Water’s grandchild.” 

“Oh, Daddy. This is wonderful. Gee, Mr. Carl is a 
swell fellow. I have read all his books. I didn’t think 
I would ever know that Mr. Carl.” 

Mr. Carl smiled and gave Yammy a friendly pat on 
the back. 

It was away past Yammy’s usual bedtime, but he said 
he was not a bit tired. It was such an interesting place. 
There were Indian blankets on the walls and Indian 
bows and arrows; Indian pipes and Indian feathers; 
Indian pottery on the tables and Indian rugs on the 
floor. And rows and rows of books filled the shelves. 
The men and boys sat around the fireplace, popping 
corn and listening to the stories Muddy Water told. 

[130] 


A Fishing Trip 

Before very long Laughing Heart was stretched out 
in front of the fireplace. Yammy was a very sleepy 
little boy when Daddy rolled him in an Indian blanket 
and tucked him in the bunk at 



C«3«] 


Chapter XV 

YAMMY PLAYS INDIAN 


W. 


hen he awakened the next 
morning Daddy and Mr. Carl were gone. They had 
gotten up very early and were already fishing. Yammy 
was disappointed. 

Big, fat Muddy Water waddled to his bedside. “You 
no care, you find walnut. You fish this afternoon. 
Yammy and Laughing Heart find walnut.” 

“Where is Laughing Heart?” asked Yammy. 

“Laughing Heart get up early. Laughing Heart help 
Muddy Water clean cabin. Laughing Heart outside 
now.” 

With gunny sacks and lunch thrown over their shoul¬ 
ders, Laughing Heart and Yammy were soon climbing 
the hillside. 

The large, green walnuts were easy to find. Yammy 
had his bag filled by noon. 

They found a clearing near a stream to eat the lunch 
that Muddy Water packed for them. Laughing Heart 
[ 132} 


Yammy Plays Indian 

quickly gathered some large stones and found sticks for 
a fire. 

Laughing Heart fried the bacon and warmed the 
beans, while Yammy unpacked the biscuits and poured 
the milk into tin cups. 

When they finished their meal, Laughing Heart said, 
“Now we hull walnut.” 

“How do you do that?” asked Yammy. 

Laughing Heart emptied his sack. With a rock, he 
knocked the green shell from the walnut. The moist 
brown nut fell out. Yammy was surprised. He thought 
the green walnut would turn brown after it was dried. 

Yammy started with his. The hulls were soft and 
stained his fingers a deep brown. 

Laughing Heart told him how the Indians used the 
walnut juice to paint their faces for special celebrations 
and dances. 

“Please show me on my face,” he said. 

Laughing Heart squeezed a bit of juice in the palm 
of his hand. He made a long streak against Yammy’s 
forehead. Then another streak across his right cheek. 
Then another streak across his left cheek. 

“Now Laughing Heart get red.” He ran into the 
deep woods and in no time he came back with bunches 

£133} 


, Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

of purple pokeberries. He squeezed these into his palm 
and marked Yammy’s nose and chin a deep purplish 
red. 

“Ha, ha,” laughed Laughing Heart. “Just like real 
Indian.” 

Yammy rubbed the juices on his arms and knees. 

Laughing Heart was dancing up and down and yell¬ 
ing and slapping his mouth, “Yammy, dance, dance!” 

Yammy started to dance too. Their shouts echoed 
through the hills. Laughing Heart squatted next to the 
fire and sang loudly, “Yoo hoo—yoo hoo-ooh.” 

Just then they heard a “Yoo hoo—yoo hoo.” 

Yammy straightened and listened. He thought there 
were more Indians around. He was a little bit afraid. 

“What is that?” he whispered., 

Laughing Heart was laughing all over. 

“Who was that?” asked Yammy again, as he sat close 
to Laughing Heart. 

Laughing Heart did not answer him. He just kept on 
laughing and then he put his hands to his mouth and 
called loudly, “Yoo hoo—ya—yoo hoo.” 

The call was answered. Yammy sat very still. Sud¬ 
denly they heard a rustling in the leaves. Yammy looked 
toward the hillside. 


C i34 ] 







































Yatntny Plays Indian 

There he saw Mr. Carl and Daddy tramping down 
the hill. Yammy breathed deeply and smiled. 

Then he got up and ran to them quickly, “Oh, 
Daddy,” he called. “Look, I’m a real Indian now.” 

“Yammy, Son, whatever did you do?” questioned 
Daddy, as he laughed at Yammy’s colored face. 

Mr. Carl was not smiling. “Laughing Heart,” he 
scolded, “why did you do this?” 

Laughing Heart bowed his head, “Laughing Heart 
sorry. Laughing Heart forget. Laughing Heart and 
Yammy had fun. We forget.” 

“Forgetting is no excuse. I am ashamed of you.” 

Laughing Heart turned, and in another minute, he 
was running far down the hill. 

Mr. Carl turned to Daddy, “I’m sorry, Bob. You 
know that stuff won’t come off for a month.” 

“I don’t care, I like it,” said Yammy. 

“I like it too,” said Daddy, still laughing. “But just 
you wait until Mother sees it.” 

Daddy turned to Mr. Carl, “Don’t you remember 
when we did the same thing, Frank?” 

“I sure do,” laughed Mr. Carl. 

The next day Yammy did not want to leave Mr. Carl 
and Muddy Water and Laughing Heart. But it was 

Ci37] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

time to go. Daddy had to get home to work and Yammy 
had to be in school Monday morning. 

On their way home they stopped again at the Way- 
side Inn for dinner. But this time, as Yammy walked 
into the dining room everyone turned to look at him. 
The children stared at him with wide open eyes. A baby 
pointed and started to cry. 

Yammy rushed to the washroom to scrub his face. 
The stain did not budge. 

It had been a lot of fun being an Indian with Laugh¬ 
ing Heart. But now he felt so conspicuous. He did 
not like people to laugh at him. And then, too, he began 
to think about what Mother would say. 

When they arrived home Mother and the two Grand¬ 
mothers and the two Grandfathers were all there to 
meet them. 

Mother was horrified when she saw Yammy. 

“Yammy,” she scolded, “I don’t believe you washed 
your face the entire time you were gone.” 

“Yes I did, Mother,” answered Yammy. “I washed 
it, but it won’t come off, not for a month. You see, I 
was an Indian.” 

“Oh, Yammy,” was all Mother could say. 

“O-o-o-oh, Yammy,” they all said it—Grandmother, 
[138] 


Yammy Plays Indian 

the one who couldn’t hear very well; and Grandmother, 
the one who heard everything, and the fat Grandfather 
and the thin Grandfather. 

As soon as Yammy took off his coat, he knew just 
where to go. 

In a little while Mother came in to have another look 
at Yammy’s face. She shook her head and said, “Yam¬ 
my, I just don’t know; what to think of you. Just when 
I think you are becoming thoughtful you do a thing 
like this.” 

Yammy just hung his head. 

In a little while Powder crept in softly and stood next 
to Yammy. Powder did not seem to mind Yammy’s red 
and brown and blue face. He rubbed his nose against 
Yammy’s shins and gave Yammy a friendly little bark. 



C *39 ] 



Chapter XVI 

THANKSGIVING FOR THE JONESES 


y 


ammy got up early the next 
morning. He washed and washed his face. But the 
stains would not come off. He slouched down to break¬ 
fast and ate his oatmeal very slowly. 

“Yammy, hurry up, or you will be late for school.” 

Today Yammy wished that he did not have to go to 
school. He hated to think of going into the schoolroom 
with such a face. But Mother found his cap and told 
him to run along. 

He pulled his cap as far down over his face as pos¬ 
sible. He took his time in getting to school. The bell 
was ringing just as he reached the school yard. He 
thought maybe he could go into the room unnoticed 
and loitered more than ever. 

“Good morning, Yammy,” smiled Miss Harriet, the 
teacher. The class was standing, ready to sing. 

And then instead of singing, all the children started 
to laugh. 


[ 140} 


Thanksgiving for the Joneses 

This made Yammy feel miserable. He held his hands 
in front of his face and stumbled to his place. 

Miss Harriet asked, “Yammy, did you wash your face 
this morning?” 

The children snickered and giggled. 

Yammy answered quickly in a mumbling voice, “Yes, 
I did, but it won’t come off. I was an Indian.” 

The room was very noisy now and the teacher rapped 
on her desk. When all was quiet, she said, “Yammy, 
when did you become an Indian? Won’t you tell us 
how it happened?” 

At first Yammy shuffled his feet one against the other. 
He did not know how to begin. His face was burning 
and he twisted his hands behind him. 

Then he thought of the good time he had had with 
Laughing Heart. So he stood up straight and bravely 
told all about his experiences. The children asked him 
many questions. He answered them all. He promised 
to bring some of Mr. Carl’s books to school. 

Miss Harriet thanked him and the children clapped 
for Yammy. 

That made him feel better and now he did not mind 
his red and brown face, not so very much anyway. 

But when he came home from school the bigger boys 

[ 1411 


Ycmmy Buys a Bicycle 

and girls teased him and called him Big Chief Rain-in- 
the-Face. 

Yammy threw his hat in the closet and went to his 
room. 

He took his bank from the shelf and sat on the floor. 
The money fell through his fingers. Powder crawled 
over and snuggled his nose against Yammy’s sweater. 
Yammy wished the red and brown would come off. 
He wished he could find his first bank. He wished he 
had Hooky back again. He was a sad little boy. 

The whole world was topsy-turvy. 

He counted his money—$7.35. “I will never get my 
bicycle, not by Christmas,” he said to himself. 

Mother slowly opened the door. She sat down on the 
floor beside him. She knew he was not happy. Mother 
brushed back his stubbled hair. 

“Yammy, I have a big job for you. The basement 
needs cleaning. If you do a little bit every evening and 
do a really good job, I will pay you $4.00. And then 
by helping the Grandmothers every week, you may have 
enough to get your bicycle by Christmas.” 

“Oh, Mother, I will clean that basement until it 
shines.” 

And Yammy was in the basement in no time. 

[ 142 ] 


Thanksgiving for the Joneses 

“Where shall we begin, Mother?” 

“I think the store room is the best place. You can 
take all those boxes out and I will sort them. You can 
clean the floor and then put the boxes back again. I 
think that will be enough for one evening.” 

Yammy worked hard. Every evening he was in the 
basement. And all the next month he helped the Grand¬ 
mothers on Saturdays. Again his bank began to rattle 
with lots and lots of quarters. 

He was anxious to see George. But they could not 
make arrangements to visit the Joneses until Thanks¬ 
giving. 

The day before Thanksgiving Mother and Yammy 
loaded three baskets with food. A whole turkey com¬ 
pletely filled one basket. There were oranges and 
cookies and cranberries and potatoes and vegetables and 
celery—everything for a real Thanksgiving dinner. 

The Joneses were excited as Mother unpacked the 
baskets. Jolly waited eagerly for Mother to take out 
the turkey. 

But Jolly’s face looked a little puzzled when Mother 
finally uncovered the turkey basket. 

“No turkey, that’s no turkey,” said Jolly emphatically. 

“Why yes, it is a turkey,” Yammy told her. 

C M3] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“No, no turkey,” Jolly stamped her foot. 

“Certainly, it is a turkey,” they all told her. 

“No, that’s not a turkey,” Jolly said again. She ran 
to a box in the comer and took out a magazine cover 
she had been saving. 

She showed it to them all, “Here is turkey.” 

She pointed to the picture and then she pointed to 
the turkey on the table. “No feathers on that.” 

Everyone laughed. But Jolly ran to her toy box cor¬ 
ner. “I want a turkey,” she cried. “I want a real turkey.” 

She held the picture in her little fat hands, “Nice 
turkey,” she smoothed and patted the picture. 

Mrs. Jones gathered her in her arms and explained 
that the feathers had been taken off so that the turkey 
could be cooked. Jolly felt better about it, but still she 
looked at it with questioning eyes. 

George and Yammy were in the workroom. George 
already had his bank out. 

“I’m sure I can make it by Christmas. I have $19.00. 
And I’ll work all this next month. It will be a good 
month. How much have you?” 

“Oh, I don’t have so much,” answered Yammy in a 
downhearted tone. “I have a little over $11.00 and I 
know I can never get $10.00 more before Christmas.” 

C 144 ] 


T hanks giving for the Joneses 

“Cheer up, Yammy. Maybe you can. Look, I sent 
for a bicycle catalog. Gee, there are some swell ones 
in it.” 

Together they opened the catalog. There was page 
after page of beautiful, streamlined, chromium-finished 
bicycles. 

“Come Yammy, it is time for us to go.” Mother stuck 
her head in the door. 

But Yammy and George were so interested in the 
catalog they did not hear her. 

“I think this one is about the best buy for the money. 
Of course there are other cheaper ones, but we want 
a good, strong bicycle so that it will last us forever.” 
George pointed to a full page picture of a large, grace¬ 
ful, blue and silver two-wheeler costing $21.75. 

Yammy looked long at the Lightning Master. Then 
he shook his head and said wistfully, “Gee, it is a 
beauty.” 

“I tell you, Yammy, I won’t order mine until a week 
before Christmas.” 

“Oh, George, that is only about three weeks from 
now.” 

“Well then, I tell you what. I won’t order it. We 
can go to the store the day before Christmas. That will 
[145] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 


give you a little time to earn some more money.” 
“Come, Yammy,” said Mother again. 

“Well, I’ll try,” said Yammy to George. There was 
a hopeless sound in Yam- 
my’s voice as he went out 
the door. 



[ 146} 








Chapter XVII 

YAMMY FINDS HIS BANK 


2 ), 


ecember is always a busy 
month. Yammy helped Linda make Christmas cookies. 
He tacked wreaths to the doors and windows and hung 
mistletoe on the light in the hall. He helped Mother 
shop for her long list of Christmas presents. 

He had a leading part in the Christmas play at school 
and he learned a long poem for the Christmas program 
at Sunday School. 

And with all of that he did manage to earn a few 
dollars. He shoveled snow for the Grandmothers and 
he shoveled snow at home. 

But try as he might, he did not have quite enough 
money to buy a bicycle. 

It; was just two days before Christmas. After dinner, 
Daddy and Yammy were going to trim the tree. 

Yammy did not feel very much like doing anything. 

“Don’t fret, Son. You will get your bicycle in the 
early spring,” consoled Daddy. 

[147] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“Besides, Yammy, you know I would worry about 
your riding around when the weather is so cold,” said 
Mother. 

Yammy did not feel any better. “But George is get¬ 
ting his bicycle tomorrow, and we were going to get 
them together.” 

“Well, we had better get started on this tree,” said 
Daddy. “I’ll get the stand. It is in the attic, isn’t it?” 
He turned to Mother. 

“Why yes, Daddy. All the Christmas things are to¬ 
gether, in the corner under the window,” Mother told 
him. 

“I can get the stand, Daddy,” offered Yammy. 

“No, Son. That is too heavy for you. I’ll get it and 
get the tree all ready for trimming. While I’m doing 
that you can bring down the ornaments.” 

“What are you going to do, Mother?” asked Yammy. 

“Oh, someone has to be the boss,” laughed Mother. 
“I’ll just sit here and see that you do it right.” 

Daddy winked at Yammy. “If our boss gets too 
bossy, we’ll make her do it by herself, won’t we, Yam¬ 
my?” 

“Indeed we will, Mrs. Boss,” Yammy teased back at 
Mother. 


[ 148] 


Yammy Finds His Bank 

Daddy dragged in the tree. He arranged the stand 
and placed it carefully in the center of the living room. 
The beautiful tree was so high it reached the ceiling. 

Yammy was so excited about getting the tree to stand 
straight, he forgot to bring down the ornaments. 

“Hurry, Yammy,” said Daddy. “Run to the attic 
and carry down some of those boxes. We will be here 
all night if we don’t work any faster.” 

“That’s all right,” answered Yammy. “There’s no 
school tomorrow.” 

“Well, don’t you think about your poor, old Daddy? 
There’s work for him tomorrow morning.” 

Yammy rushed to the attic. There were stacks and 
stacks of boxes of ornaments and lights and other decora¬ 
tions. All the boxes were marked, but the light was 
dim and it was quite hard to see the letters. 

Yammy wanted to find the cradle first. He loved 
the Christmas story and he loved to arrange the little 
figures and the Creche or cradle under the tree. 

He carefully lifted several boxes from the stack. Then 
he pushed aside a large package of cotton. As he did 
this he heard something rattle. 

He looked behind the package of cotton, but it was 
too dark to see anything. 

[ 149] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

He lifted the box containing the Creche. In so doing, 
the package of cotton was shoved back a bit. Again he 
heard a rattle. 

“I’m going to find out what that is,” he said to him¬ 
self. 

He carried the Creche to the top of the stairs and set 
it down. 

He ran back to the cotton package and reached be¬ 
hind it. He could feel nothing. He shook the package. 
This time nothing rattled. 

“That’s funny,” he said. 

He stretched himself flat on his stomach and reached 
far back. 

His hand touched something — something cold — 
something round. He held on to it tightly. He shook 
it, and oh, how happy he was. 

He shook it hard and it rattled loudly. Then he 
grasped the lost baking powder bank in both his hands. 

He was too happy to move. He lay on his back and 
shook his bank again and again. 

“Mother. Daddy,” he shouted. 

Mother and Daddy hurried up the attic steps. 

“What’s the matter, Yammy?” asked Mother, with a 
worried tone in her voice. As she reached the top of the 

[ISO] 


Yammy Finds His Bank 

stairs, she stumbled over the box containing the Creche. 

Daddy helped Mother to her feet and together they 
rushed to Yammy. 

“What’s the trouble?” they both asked at once. 

Yammy just lay there. He laughed loud and he shook 
the bank harder. 

“Look. My bank, my bank. Now I can get my 
bicycle tomorrow!” 

“Well Yammy, where did you find it?” 

Yammy was sitting up now. “It was behind the bag 
of Christmas tree cotton.” 

“But how did it get there?” asked Mother. “When 
were you playing up here?” 

“I didn’t play up here. I don’t know how it got here,” 
said Yammy. 

“Now think hard, Yammy,” said Daddy. “When did 
you last have your bank?” 

“I remember well, Daddy. I counted my money just 
before I went away last summer.” 

“And then do you remember putting your bank in its 
proper place?” 

“Well, I always did.” 

“But did you this time? Was anyone in the room 
with you?” 


[151} 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

Yammy thought a minute. Then he blurted out in a 
loud voice, “Powder.” 

Powder heard Yammy call his name and in no time 
he had rushed up the attic stairs. 

Powder climbed to Yammy’s lap and sniffed at the 
baking powder bank. He pushed it with his paw from 
Yammy’s hands and rolled it across the floor, back and 
forth, back and forth. 

“Yes, Daddy. Powder was there and he rolled my 
bank back and forth, just as he is doing now.” 

“Then what happened?” 

Yammy thought again. “Well then, Grandmother 
called and I went downstairs— Oh, I know, Daddy.” 

“And I do too,” said Mother. “You did forget to 
put your bank away, and it was Powder who rolled your 
bank up here, for he was in the attic when we were 
ready to go to the train. Don’t you remember?” 

“That’s it,” said Daddy. 

“Powder Clumshanks,” scolded Yammy. “Aren’t you 
ashamed, hiding my bank and making me worry to 
pieces.” 

But Yammy was too happy about finding his bank 
to be really angry with Powder. 

With the bank in one arm and Powder in the other, 

[isO 


Yammy Finds His Bank 

he marched downstairs 1 to the living room. He emptied 
the money on the floor and counted. Not a penny was 
missing of the $10.75. “Oh, boy,” he said joyfully. 

He rushed upstairs to get his other bank. 

He was down again immediately, then he counted the 
money in it. Altogether he had $24.10. 

Mother and Daddy came into the living room. Their 
arms were full of boxes. 

“Come Yammy, we do have to finish trimming this 
tree.” 

It was no work for Yammy now. He placed his banks 
on the fireplace, out of Powder’s reach. 

He danced up the stairs and carried down the boxes. 

He hummed a tune as he hung the ornaments on the 
tree. He whistled as he arranged the Creche and he sang 
as he tossed the artificial snow on the branches. 

“It is late. Yammy, you simply must go to bed,” said 
Mother decisively. 

Yammy grabbed his banks. First he kissed Mother 
and then he kissed Daddy and then he went happily 
to his room. 

“Good night, son,” called Daddy. 

“Good?” exclaimed Yammy. “It’s been a swell 
night.” 


[ iS3l 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 


He smiled in his sleep, for all night long he dreamed 
he was riding a beauti¬ 
ful, streamlined blue 
and chromium-fin¬ 
ished bicycle. 





Chapter XV1I1 

YAMMY AND GEORGE 
BUY THEIR BICYCLES 


y. 


ammy was up early the next 
morning. He turned on his radio as he dressed. He 
hummed Christmas carols. “The world is a wonderful 
place,” thought Yammy. 

“Are you going to take me out to George’s, Mother?” 
asked Yammy. 

“Why, this is the day before Christmas. I don’t see 
how I can take the time.” 

“But I have to get out there. I just have to,” Yammy 
pleaded. 

Daddy said he thought he could manage. He would 
not stay at the office very long and Yammy could go 
with him. Then they would drive out to the Joneses, 
pick up George and then go to the bicycle store. 

“You could take our gifts to the Joneses. I didn’t 
know how we were going to get them there on time,” 
said Mother. 

“Hurry up then, for I don’t want to be late this morn¬ 
ing.” 


1 155] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

There was a hustle and bustle collecting the presents. 
One Grandmother sent a basket of food and the other 
Grandmother sent a bundle of clothing. 

Yammy emptied all of his money into one can and 
dropped the can in a paper sack. He tied a string 
around the package and held to it tightly. 

The car was filled to overflowing when they were 
ready to go. 

Daddy’s office was a busy place. Every one called 
to them, “Merry Christmas, Yammy. Merry Christmas, 
Mr. Clumshanks.” 

All were excited and happy and the morning passed 
quickly. Then Yammy and Daddy jumped in the car 
and hurried to the Joneses. 

“Merry Christmas, everybody. Merry Christmas to 
you.” 

“Merry Christmas to you,” they answered. 

The little house was fairly shaking with excitement. 

“Santa Claus is coming to Jolly. Tonight Santa 
Claus will come,” Jolly sang in her high little squeaky 
voice. 

“Has Jolly been a good girl?” asked Mr. Clumshanks. 

“Jolly is good. Always a good girl,” and she nodded 
her head up and down. 


C156] 


Yammy and George Buy Their Bicycles 

Yammy was almost out of breath telling George about 
his bank. 

“Upstairs, yes, in the attic. Powder rolled it up there. 
Oh, boy—$24.10. I will even have some left over.” 

“I was sure it was in your house some place,” an¬ 
swered George. 

“Can you go now, George?” asked Yammy. “Are 
you ready? Daddy will take us to the store. Where is 
the catalog? We’d better take that to show them.” 

Daddy was unpacking the basket. “No, no, Jolly must 
not peek.” 

“Jolly won’t peek,” she said, holding a small pack¬ 
age she had sneaked behind her. 

Mrs. Jones thanked them again and again. “Your 
family have made this a happy year for us. We have 
grown to love you all very dearly.” 

There were tears of happiness in her eyes as she said 
it. She wiped them away with her apron and went to 
the workroom. She brought out a large package. “We 
did think of you, but we couldn’t do much. This is a 
Christmas present for all of you from all of us.” 

“And we all helped to make it,” said Buddy proudly. 

“May I open it now?” asked Daddy. 

“I think that will be all right,” said Mrs. Jones. 

[ iS7] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“Oh yes, Daddy, open it now,“ called Yammy. 

He unwrapped the package and he spread before them 
a brightly 1 colored rug. 

“It is for your hall,” explained Bobby. 

“It is truly beautiful,” said Daddy. 

“Mamma collected the old stockings and I dyed 
them,” George told him. 

“And I cut them into strips,” said Buddy. 

“And I helped cut too,” cried Bobby. 

“Lucy crocheted it,” put in Mrs. Jones. 

“And what did you do, Jolly?” asked Daddy. 

“I walk on it,” said Jolly impudently. 

“How true that is,” apologized Mrs. Jones. “I caught 
her just in time. She was playing house with it. I 
brushed it the best I could.” 

“I know Mother is going to appreciate it. Thank 
you all so much.” 

Daddy and George and Yammy then drove to the 
store. There were rows and rows of bicycles. It was 
a good thing they had their catalog with them or they 
surely would have become confused. 

“This is the one, Mister. We want two of them. 
Will we get them cheaper if we order two?” George 
was speaking in a businesslike voice. 

£is8] 


Yummy and George Buy Their Bicycles 

The clerk looked at the picture and then he looked 
at the boys. “You have selected a good bike, boys. I’ll 
have to ask the manager about the price.” 

In a little while the clerk was back again. “I can let 
you have them for one dollar less than the catalog price. 
How is that?” 

“Sounds fair enough to me,” said George. 

“Can you send them this afternoon?” asked Yammy. 

“No,” said the clerk. “We are far too busy to get them 
out this afternoon. You will have to wait until the day 
after Christmas.” 

“Oh, we can’t do that. We have to have them tomor¬ 
row,” exclaimed Yammy. 

“We do want them tomorrow. Can’t you do some¬ 
thing about it?” begged George. 

“But we can’t possibly send them today. The trucks 
are overloaded now.” 

“Couldn’t you make a special delivery?” asked Dad¬ 
dy. “These boys have saved all year to get their bicycles 
and they do want them for Christmas.” 

“Well now, I’ll see the manager about it.” 

And in a little while he was back again. “Everything 
is all right, boys. You will get your bicycles tomorrow 
morning.” 


[159] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

The clerk took the addresses of the boys. Yammy and 
George counted out their money. They wished the clerk 
a Merry Christmas and thanked him for helping them. 

Daddy and Yammy took George home but this time 
they did not stay. There were many things for them 
to do that afternoon. But with all of Yammy’s chores 
the day passed far too slowly for him. 



[ 160 ] 



Chapter XIX 
CHRISTMAS 


V. 


he church bells were ringing 
when Yammy awakened the next morning. Christmas 
had come at last. 

The Grandmothers and the Grandfathers had reached 
the Clumshanks already. 

“Did my bicycle come?” called down Yammy, as he 
dressed quickly. 

“Not yet, it is much too early,” answered Daddy. 

They all sat down to breakfast. It was a Christmas 
rule in the Clumshank family that breakfast had to be 
eaten before they could look at their gifts. 

Linda was serving bacon and eggs when the door bell 
rang. Everyone at the table raised his head. 

Yammy sprang to the door. “Maybe it’s my bicycle.” 

“Sit down,” called Daddy. “I will answer this one.” 

Daddy opened the door. 

It was a telegram. 


[161] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“Merry Christmas to all,” it said. It was signed— 
Mr. and Mrs. Yammy Clumshanks. 

“Uncle Yammy! Married! I never thought that 
would happen.” Mother could not eat another bite. 

Daddy laughed, “I wonder if he married a hula-hula 
dancer.” 

“Mr. Clumshanks, this is no laughing matter,” spoke 
Mother sharply. 

Breakfast was completely upset. Just as they were 
all leaving the table the doorbell rang again. 

“Maybe it’s my bicycle this time.” Again Yammy 
ran for the door. 

“I will get it, Son,” called Daddy. 

“Uncle Yammy married, my, oh my.” Mother could 
not get it off her mind. 

“Merry Christmas, everybody,” called Uncle Yammy 
himself as the door flew open. And with him was a 
lovely girl. 

With one leap Yammy was in Uncle Yammy’s arms. 

“This is your new aunt—Aunt Letty,” introduced 
Uncle Yammy. The lovely girl had such a nice smile 
that Yammy liked her right away. 

The family all hovered around Aunt Letty. Mean¬ 
while Uncle Yammy stood looking around. 

[ 162 ] 


Christinas 


“Looks as though Santa has been around here,” said 
Uncle Yammy going into the living room. 

Yammy danced in ahead of his uncle. 

“Just a minute, Son, you know we always sing first,” 
spoke Mother. 

“And come, Uncle Yammy, take off that coat,” said 
Daddy. 

“Ha, ha,” laughed Uncle Yammy. “Being a married 
man makes me forgetful.” 

“I think it has,” said Aunt Letty. “Didn’t you forget 
something in your pocket?” 

“That’s right. I have something in my pocket that 
belongs to Yammy Clumshanks.” With that Uncle 
Yammy pulled out a little bunch of black fur—a coal 
black kitten. 

“Uncle Yammy! How did you know?” Yammy held 
the tiny kitten close to him. 

“Oh, your old Uncle Yammy does know a thing or 
two.” 

“I must give it some milk right away. What shall I 
call it?” asked Yammy. 

“Why don’t you name it Surprise?” suggested Aunt 
Letty. 

“Surprise. That’s a fine name,” said Uncle Yammy. 

[ 163 ] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

“That’s who you are—Surprise.” 

I’m anxious to see what Santa brought me,” growled 
Daddy. “I wish we would hurry up and sing.” 

“Won’t you let me play?” asked Aunt Letty. 

She sat at the piano and everyone stood around the 
Christmas Tree. They sang, O, Tannenbaum and Silent 
Night. 

Yammy was getting impatient. “I think that is 
enough, I want to open my presents.” 

Aunt Letty put her arms around him, “I don’t blame 
you, Yammy. I think I caused you this long wait.” 

There were so many things, Yammy didn’t know 
where to begin. He picked up a heavy, oblong box. 
He hurriedly tore open the paper. “A movie camera,” 
he shouted. 

It was from Grandmother, the one who couldn’t hear 
very well. 

“Thanks, Grandmother,” and he kissed her on the 
nose. 

He focused the camera on the Christmas tree. 

“Don’t, Yammy; not now,” interrupted Mother. “Put 
that aside until Daddy shows you exactly how to work it. 
That is a costly present and we don’t want it broken.” 

[ 164] 


Christmas 


“Oh, gee,” grumbled Yammy as he set it in the corner. 
“I know how to work it myself.” 

Another package—To Yammy. He opened this 
package, he saw a silver gleam. “Oh boy, just what I 
wanted—new skates.” And he rushed over and kissed 
Grandmother on the nose. 

When he finally got all the tissue paper unwrapped, 
he held them up. They were beautiful. “But, but— 
Grandmother,” he said jerkily, “they look like a girl’s.” 

And so they did. The skates were attached to white 
shoes with fluffy, white fur around the ankles. Grand¬ 
mother, the one who could hear, always adored things 
with ruffles or frills. 

Yammy put them aside in the corner, next to the 
camera. 

“Come, Son,” said Daddy. “I have a surprise for you 
in the basement.” 

Daddy led him downstairs. The whole basement was 
buzzing with sounds. A large streamlined electric train 
was scooting over mountains, valleys, rivers and hills. 

“Toot-toot,” went the whistle. 

“Oh, Daddy, this is something!” 

He ran to the switch and turned a lever. The train 
slowed down. He pushed a button, the train whistled. 

[ 165] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

The lights went on. He turned another lever, the train 
started over the plain. 

Daddy stood beside him, “Now Yammy, you run 
along upstairs, while I tend to this.” 

Yammy’s large, brown eyes looked up, “But Daddy, 
this is mine, isn’t it? It is really mine?” 

“Why, of course, it is. But you haven’t opened all 
of your presents yet. Besides, I want to get this in good 
working order. Now you run along.” 

So Daddy made the train stop and Daddy made the 
train go and Yammy went slowly back to the living 
room. 

“Oh, gosh, I wish my bicycle would come.” 

There was still a heap of unopened presents: To 
Yammy. To Yammy. 

He read them aloud. 

“Say, Mother, I just thought about something.” 

They all turned toward Yammy. 

“Mother,” he said in a loud voice, “Everybody can 
call me Sammy. Please call me Sammy now. I never 
did like Yammy for my name.” 

Mother had a wondering expression on her face. 
“What are you talking about?” 

The room was quiet when Yammy spoke in a clear 

C 166 3 


C hristmas 


voice, “Well, Uncle Yammy is married now. He will 
give all his things to Aunt Letty. You won’t have to 
call me Yammy any more because I won’t get anything 
anyway.” 

Mother’s face was red and she said, “Yammy Clum- 
shanks, I don’t know what to do with you. You never, 
never, never think before you speak. We all love your 
Uncle Yammy and that is why you were called Yammy.” 

Everyone else was laughing and Uncle Yammy was 
laughing loudest of all. 

“I think he did think, Mother,” said Uncle Yammy 
as he laughed and laughed. “I used to feel the same way 
about my name. I think we have a pretty smart boy 
here. I never did like that name either, but you know 
I was named Yammy because I had an Uncle Yammy 
and he was named Yammy because he had an Uncle 
Yammy and so on.” 

Just then the door bell rang again. 

Yammy flew to the door. This time for sure, it was 
his bicycle. 

“Where shall I put it?” asked the driver. 

“Oh, come right in here, in the living room. No— 
take it down the basement and I can ride it right away.” 

The whole family marched to the basement. Even 

C 167] 


Yammy Buys a Bicycle 

Powder and Surprise followed them. What a beautiful 
bicycle it was—blue and silver and shining new. 

Yammy lifted Powder and Surprise to the large 
basket. “Look,” he cried, “the basket is big enough for 
both of them.” 

Yammy sprang to the seat. “See how springy it is,” 
and he bounced up and down. 

“And look at the light,” he yelled, as he turned the 
electric switch on and off. 

“Can you ride it?” asked Grandmother, the one who 
couldn’t hear. 

“Can I ride it!” shouted Yammy. “Watch out, every¬ 
body, here I go,” and he started to pedal around and 
around. 

“Lan’ sakes, look at my honey chile,” Linda called 
out as she peeked down the stairs. 

Just then Daddy took hold of Mother’s arm. “He’s 
done very well and we should be proud of him.” 

“Look out, everybody, here I come.” And Yammy 
just kept pedaling around and around. 


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